Barese focaccia tasty recipe crispy outside and soft inside
The tasty Bari-style focaccia recipe is one of those preparations that smell like home, like a warm oven and flour-dusted hands on Sunday morning. Just say its name and you can instantly catch the aroma of crushed tomatoes, oregano, and good oil sizzling as it bakes.
If you’ve been to Bari at least once, you know exactly what I mean. You find it everywhere—at bakeries, along the streets in the center—eaten hot with your hands while you stroll. And if you’ve never tasted it, then get ready, because this tasty Bari-style focaccia recipe truly wins everyone over at the first bite.
In the Bari dialect it’s called “fcazz” and it’s much more than a simple focaccia. It’s tradition, family, memories. Every home keeps its own version, the one handed down by grandmothers and moms, the one that “is the real recipe.” Some use sourdough and some fresh baker’s yeast, some add potatoes to the dough and some prefer to skip them. But one thing always stays the same: that soft, flavorful, slightly moist base under the tomatoes, with the crunchy bottom that makes you fall in love.
Today I’m bringing you into my kitchen with this second version of the tasty Bari-style focaccia recipe, made with type 0 flour, re-milled semolina, one boiled potato, and fresh baker’s yeast. A simple recipe, no fuss, but with all the authentic flavor of Puglian tradition.
And I’ll tell you the truth… when it comes out of the oven hot, with the Bari olives, resisting is basically impossible.
The tradition of Bari-style focaccia
When it comes to street food in Bari, Bari-style focaccia is definitely one of the absolute stars. It’s the classic food you eat standing up, out on the street, just out of the oven, maybe still piping hot.
Tradition says it’s made in well-oiled iron pans, “burned” the first time in the oven to make them perfect for baking. The result has to be spot on: a focaccia not too tall, at most one and a half centimeters, crunchy underneath and soft inside.
The key players are few but essential:
re-milled durum wheat semolina
white flour
red tomatoes
Bari olives
extra-virgin olive oil
oregano
Simple ingredients that together create something incredible.
I’m leaving you the focaccia recipe made with ancient grains
📋 Amounts, times and difficulty
👩🍳 Servings: one 28 cm pan
⏱️ Prep: 30 minutes
🕰️ Proofing: about 3 hours
🔥 Baking: 30 minutes at 240°C
🥣 Difficulty: medium
💡 Tip: add a pinch of salt on the edge of the focaccia before baking, you’ll taste the difference in the final flavor.
Bari-style focaccia ingredients
For the dough
90 g re-milled durum wheat semolina
130 g type 0 flour
140 ml room-temperature water
50 g boiled potato
6 g fresh baker’s yeast
15 g extra-virgin olive oil
6 g fine salt
2 g diastatic malt
Flour as needed for dusting
For topping
150 g red tomatoes
30 g evo oil for the pan
15 Bari olives
20 g extra-virgin olive oil on top
Fine salt as needed
Oregano as needed
Equipment needed
Large bowl
Potato masher
28 cm pan
Cling film
Work surface
How to make Bari-style focaccia: a tasty recipe
1. Prepare the potato
Boil the potato, peel it and mash it while still hot with a potato ricer. This small step will make the focaccia soft and fluffy even the next day.
2. Dissolve the yeast
Dissolve the fresh brewer’s yeast and the malt in a little water taken from the total.
3. Make the dough
In a bowl add the flours, add the dissolved yeast and the oil. Mix with a fork and add the mashed potato.
Pour in the water a little at a time and finally add the salt.
Transfer the dough to the work surface and knead it for about 5 minutes, also doing two rounds of folds.
Don’t worry if it stays slightly sticky: that’s exactly how a real tasty Bari-style focaccia should be.
4. First rise
Shape a ball, place it in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let it rise until doubled. In summer, just keep it away from drafts, while in the colder months you can put it in the turned-off oven.
The dough will be ready when you see lots of bubbles on the surface.
5. Stretch the dough
Pour the oil into the pan and gently turn the dough out inside.
With your fingertips, stretch it from the center outward without squashing the bubbles too much.
Add the topping
Crush the tomatoes directly with your hands over the focaccia, letting their juice fall too.
Add the Bari-style olives, pressing them lightly into the dough.
Let it rise again for 30 minutes.
7. Baking
Turn the oven on to 240 degrees.
Before baking, add salt, oregano and oil on the surface.
And here comes the little trick that changes everything: put a pinch of salt on the edge of the focaccia too.
Place the pan on the rack set on the bottom of the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, always checking the baking.
The base should turn out nicely crisp and golden.
Variations and tasty ideas
The tasty Bari-style focaccia recipe is already perfect as it is, but you can also customize it.
You can:
add San Marzano cherry tomatoes when they’re in season
use mozzarella and mortadella to fill it right after baking
replace part of the flour with ancient grains
add plenty of oregano for an even more intense aroma
I love it fresh from the oven with fresh mozzarella and mortadella, paired with an ice-cold beer. A simple dinner that instantly lifts the mood.
Frequently asked questions about Bari-style focaccia
Why is potato added to the dough?
The potato makes the focaccia softer, moister, and fluffy even after several hours.
Should Bari-style focaccia be thick?
No, tradition calls for a fairly low focaccia, at most about 1.5 cm.
Can I use only type 0 flour?
Yes, but re-milled semolina helps achieve the typical rustic texture of Bari-style focaccia.
How do I get a crispy base?
Use plenty of oil in the pan and bake the focaccia on the lower part of the oven.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes, it’s delicious even a few hours later, especially if lightly warmed.
If you love authentic flavors and recipes that truly taste like home, you absolutely have to try this tasty Bari-style focaccia recipe. Crispy underneath, soft inside and full of aroma, it’s one of those bakes that instantly feels like family. And after you’ve tasted it, I’m sure you’ll rush to check out the other recipes on the La Cucina Possibile blog to find new ideas to bring to the table, just like this wonderful
tasty Bari-style focaccia recipe
