Focaccia Barese (Mola di Bari)
A Family Journey from Bari to Our Sunday Table
There’s focaccia, and then there’s Focaccia Barese—a recipe that’s so much more than flour, oil, and tomatoes. For us, it’s a story of family, tradition, and a few hilarious misadventures along the way.
Focaccia Barese
Why Bari Keeps Calling Us Back
John’s godfather Frank’s made us our first Focaccia Barese at his home in Los Angeles over a decade ago—his family hails from Mola di Bari, just outside Bari in Puglia (yes an em dash, sometimes they are appropriate). While that’s not the only reason we’ve found ourselves in Bari more times than we can count, it’s definitely why we keep going back. Frank’s childhood memories of riding his bike with his cousins to fetch focaccia from the best local bakeries are legendary—but, as we discovered, nostalgia sometimes makes things taste better than they are. Many of those bakeries have changed hands, and the focaccia just wasn’t as magical as Frank remembered, be we thought they were great. We stopped by one focacceria where the staff were sitting outside smoking cigarettes. When we asked if they were open, they replied, “Non ancora.” (“Not yet.”) We asked when they’d open, and they said, “Quando l’impasto è pronto per il forno… circa due ore.” (“When the dough is ready to go in the oven… about two hours.”)
The Real Magic: Family Pranzo in Puglia
But the real magic happened at a family pranzo at Frank’s cousin’s house—a classic, all-day affair that ended with Frito Misto (8 hours later) and laughter echoing late into the night. It was there that we tasted what might just be the best Focaccia Barese ever, and I was determined to get to the bottom of what made it so good. My Italian was rough, but I managed to pick up a few secrets: it’s not all semolina flour; you need a mix of white flour and semolina, and—here’s the real game changer—a boiled potato in the dough. That’s what gives it that pillowy, moist crumb inside.
Recipe Secrets: What Makes Focaccia Barese Special?
Flour Mix: Not all semolina! The perfect dough uses a blend of white flour and semolina.
Boiled Potato: The secret to that soft, pillowy interior is a boiled potato mixed right into the dough.
Olive Oil: The crust is so crisp because the focaccia is practically fried in a generous pool of olive oil—some say it’s almost pizza fritta!
We’ve adapted our recipe using Caputo Nuvola flour (thanks to Bonnie’s specialty food connections), which keeps it soft on the inside and crisp outside. We’ll link to it in the recipe if you want to try it yourself!
Light and airy with crunchy outside crust.
How We Make It: Sunday Rituals and Dough Tips
Making Focaccia Barese is a Sunday ritual in our house. Start in the morning, let the dough do its thing, and by late afternoon, you’ve got a crowd-pleaser that never lasts long. The dough is softer than most—don’t expect a perfect, tight ball. You’ll see in our video how to fold and develop the gluten as you go, letting time and gentle handling work their magic.
The Hunt for the Perfect Pan
A family treasure from our trip to Martina Franca’s market day.
One of our favorite parts of this journey was hunting down the perfect pans. After failing to find them in the States, we finally scored a set at a farmer’s market in Martina Franca—three pans for 20 euro (for all, not each!). We guard those pans like family heirlooms, and you’ll see a photo of them in the recipe.
A Little Southern-Northern Rivalry
And, because no Italian story is complete without a bit of friendly rivalry: Bonnie and I once took an Italian class with a teacher from Milan. She swore by Focaccia Genovese, claiming it was better than anything from the south. In true southern style, I had to drop the class—because how could I learn Italian from someone who didn’t believe in the magic of Focaccia Barese?
Join Our Table
So here it is: our family’s go-to recipe, perfected over years and countless Sunday suppers. Give it a try, and let us know what you think—maybe even with your own “thumbs up, sideways, or down” rating, just like John.
Buon appetito, and enjoy the journey (and the focaccia)!
Focaccia Barese (Mola di Bari)
Ingredients
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3 oz Potato, Boiled, Peeled & Mashed
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13.5 oz Water, cool
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14 oz Nuvola Super, Caputo
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2.8 oz Semola Rimacinata, Caputo
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3.1 oz Bread Flour, King Arthur
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0.42 oz Diastatic Malt
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0.84 oz Olive Oil
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0.14 oz Yeast, SAF Instant
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0.5 oz Salt, Kosher
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4.2 oz Olive Oil, for the baking pan
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2 oz Water
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1 teaspoon Oregano
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5 oz Olives, Black, Pitted
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6 ea Tomatoes, Plum, San Marzano
Preparation
- Put the mashed potato, all the flours, diastatic malt, and yeast in the mixing bowl with a dough hook. Run the mixer on the first speed for one minute to mix up the ingredients.
- Add the water and mix on the first speed for 3 min. Let sit for 30 min. This process is called Autolyse.
- Mix on the second speed for 5 min to develop the dough.
- Add the salt and mix for another 9 min while slowly adding the olive oil.
- Mix till fully develped (window pane) depdiding on mixer you may need a little more time to fully develop.
- Place in a lightly oiled bowl and let bulk ferment for two hours.
- At 30 min intervals put a fold in the dough, for a total of three folds. See video on how to properly fold dough in article.
- Pre-heat the forced air (convection) oven to 500°F
- Prep the baking pan with pan spray. Pour in the 3oz/100g of the reserved olive oil and spread it evenly on the bottom.
- Cover and let proof for another hour. while every 10 min pushing the dough out to the edge of the pan.
- With your fingers, lightly dock the focaccia by pressing down the dough. Lightly!
- Prep toppings and place on the focaccia's surface. Use really ripe fresh tomatoes or tinned tomatoes that you crush by hand when you put them on top of the foccacia.
- Let proof for another 20-30 min. (Or like the Focacceria owner said, "When the doughs ready!")
- Sprinkle oregano over the top of the focaccia. Mix the water and the remaining oil that you did not use in the pan and sprinkle that over the top of the focaccia.
- Put in the oven on the middle rack and lower the oven to 420°F and bake for 25 minutes. Check at 20 min and bake to your liking. We like a well backed bread. Carmelazation is flavor.
- Remove from the oven and let rest 5 min, then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
We use a 20" Round focaccia pan we got in Martina Franca at the farmers market. I recommend a metal pan over a glass pan for baking. I often laugh and say Focaccia Barese is fried, not baked. Suppose you want to top it with herbs, thinly sliced potatoes, and onions. I recommend marinating them in olive oil for 30-60 min so thy don't dry and burn in the hot oven. I like to sprinkle a little Maldon Flaked salt on top before I bake. We like salt here. But traditionally in Italy, they would not do that.
