I’ve been loving making focaccia recently, it’s such a versatile bread that can take on a lot of different flavors. Let’s be honest – it’s fun to make because of the dimpling. Everyone knows it. But this rainbow focaccia is the perfect spring treat! This is a crispy, fluffy focaccia bread topped with vegetables in the shape of a rainbow, and utterly delicious. This is a fun dish for the whole family and can be made on so many occasions! Simple, and stunning.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Rainbow Focaccia
Ever heard of “Focaccia art”? Well, here it is! Focaccia is a delicious bread that can take on a lot of different flavors. You can pretty much top focaccia with anything, but here we’re doing an assortment of vegetables that lays like a pretty rainbow. Even while I’m typing this up my three-year-old is next to me looking at pictures of the focaccia yelling “It’s pretty! I want to eat! “.. so, it’s toddler approved on aesthetic alone, and adult approved because of how delicious it tastes. Win. Win. Win. Win.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Starter – Active, bubbly starter that has been previously fed. This is what will make our focaccia rise.
Water – Filtered water
Flour – For all my recipes I use Costco’s organic, unbleached all- purpose flour.
Olive oil – I didn’t realize until I got older how good quality olive oil really does have a better taste. It’s worth getting the nicer stuff for homemade focaccia.
Rainbow Veggies – This is mainly for color, and I used Red, orange and yellow mini sweet peppers. One green bell pepper. One red onion. and sliced thin baby potatoes as the clouds at the end of the rainbow.
👩🍳 How to Make Rainbow Focaccia
- In the morning, feed your stater.
- In the afternoon when your starter is bubbly and active, assemble your focaccia dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your bubbly starter, olive oil, and water until a milky liquid forms.
- Add in the flour and salt and mix together until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a bowl cover and let rest for 1 hour.
- After resting, pull the sides of the dough up and towards the middle, rotating the bowl each time. Cover with a bowl cover and let rest for 30 minutes – one hour.
- Perform 2 more stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart.
- Cover with a bowl cover and let rest on the counter overnight for 10 – 12 hours.
- In the morning your dough should have doubled in size.
- Pour one tablespoon of olive oil onto your baking dish (I use a large cast iron pan, but you can use the largest baking dish you have)
- Turn your dough over and into the dish, coating it with olive oil. Fold the sides in towards the middle like an envelope and cover it with a tea towel for 1 – 2 hours.
- After resting, your dough should be visibly doubled and puffy on the surface, using oiled fingers – dimple the top of your dough.
- Preheat your oven to 425 and cut your veggies.
- Place your veggies over the surface of the dough and into the shape of a rainbow. (Red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and slice the potatoes to resemble clouds at the end of the rainbow)
- Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake at 425 for 25 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing and enjoy!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Don’t be afraid to overproof your focaccia dough, it can handle it.
- The focaccia dough will expand in the oven, while the vegetables will shrink, placing your ingredients close together before baking will help your design stay put during the bake.
🗒 Bakers Schedule
9am: feed your sourdough starter (I feed mine a 1:3:3 ratio)
6pm: put together your focaccia dough.
7pm: stretch and fold.
7:30pm: stretch and fold.
8pm: stretch and fold, cover and let rest overnight.
8am: turn dough over into an oiled dish.
10am: add toppings, dimple the dough and bake.
10:30am: dough is done, let cool and enjoy for lunch!
🗒 Substitutions
The beauty about a really good focaccia dough is that it can take on almost every flavor as a topping, so top your bread with whatever vegetables you like best! Check out my other focaccia bread recipes that have really fun toppings!
- Your favorite veggies
- Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
- Carrot Cake Focaccia
🗒 Best served with
- Dinner appetizer
- Side of marinara
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store your leftover focaccia in a Ziplock bag or airtight container and leave on the counter for 3-4 days.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! After the focaccia has baked and cooled, slice it into smaller pieces and place into a Ziplock bag, pushing out as much air as possible. Leave in the freezer for up to three months, when you’re ready to eat it, leave it on the counter overnight to thaw.
If you are busy in the morning and can’t bake your focaccia until later in the day, cut the bulk ferment closer to 9-10 hours, place into the oiled baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and into the fridge until later when you’re ready to bake.
Rainbow Focaccia
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Cast Iron large baking dish
- kitchen knife
Ingredients
- 75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 20 grams olive oil
- 360 grams filtered water
- 500 grams all – purpose flour
- 10 grams salt
Rainbow toppings of your choice
- Red mini peppers/ grape tomatoes
- Orange mini peppers
- Yellow mini peppers
- Green bell peppers
- Red onion
- Baby potatoes
Instructions
- In the morning, feed your stater.
- In the afternoon when your starter is bubbly and active, assemble your focaccia dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your bubbly starter, olive oil, and water until a milky liquid forms.
- Add in the flour and salt and mix together until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a bowl cover and let rest for 1 hour.
- After resting, pull the sides of the dough up and towards the middle, rotating the bowl each time. Cover with a bowl cover and let rest for 30 minutes – one hour.
- Perform 2 more stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart.
- Cover with a bowl cover and let rest on the counter overnight for 10 – 12 hours.
- In the morning your dough should have doubled in size.
- Pour one tablespoon of olive oil onto your baking dish (I use a large cast iron pan, but you can use the largest baking dish you have)
- Turn your dough over and into the dish, coating it with olive oil. Fold the sides in towards the middle like an envelope and cover it with a tea towel for 1 – 2 hours.
- After resting your dough should be visibly doubled and puffy on the surface. With oiled fingers, dimple the top of your dough.
- Preheat your oven to 425 and cut your veggies.
- Place your veggies over the surface of the dough and into the shape of a rainbow. (Red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and slice the potatoes to resemble clouds at the end of the rainbow)
- Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake at 425 for 25 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing and enjoy!
Nutrition
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