If you love focaccia as much as I do then you are absolutely going to love these bite sized muffin tin focaccia. The recipe uses my easy and fool proof no knead focaccia dough to make up to 24 muffin sized focaccia’s. They are crispy and golden on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside and make for the perfect snack.
Mini muffin focaccia
I absolutely love making focaccia from scratch. I have tried and tested many different versions from my mini focaccia recipe to my loaf pan focaccia. But today I wanted to show you just how easy it is to use my focaccia dough to make mini muffin tin focaccia’s. The technique to make the dough is exactly the same but instead of cooking the dough in a large tray, we are using a muffin tray! Since this creates much more surface area, we are left with crispy and golden brown focaccia muffins that are the perfect bite sized snack. Snack on them all week long or pack up to take on a picnic!
Making the dough
Making the homemade bread can be a little daunting but this small batch focaccia dough is very simple and only requires a few ingredients! Make sure you have a digital scale on hand as this is a necessary tool when making focaccia dough.
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Start by stirring lukewarm water, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl with a whisk. Wait for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, signalling that the yeast is ready.
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In a different large bowl, whisk bread flour and flaky salt. Then, pour in the yeast mixture, stirring with a spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp cloth for 10 minutes. This dough has a very high hydration so it’s important the dough is left to rest for 10 minutes prior to the first stretch and fold.
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Afterward, with damp hands, stretch a piece of the dough and fold it across itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action three more times or until a ball begins to form, covering the dough again for another 10 minutes.
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Continue this stretching and folding process until the dough shapes into a ball.
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Coat the dough with 20g of olive oil and cover it tightly with plastic. Let it rest in the fridge between 18 to 72 hours; this is the first proof.
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Transfer the dough onto a dry surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 24 pieces that weigh 60g each. Oil a muffin tin and transfer the 60g dough pieces into the muffin tray. Cover and leave to proof for 1 – 2 hours in a warm spot. The dough will rise and double in size.
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Once the dough has proofed and risen, top with toppings of your choice and dimple the dough with your fingers. Bake and enjoy!
Focaccia toppings
I also love making focaccia because the flavors can be so versatile. You can top the dough with anything you please. And because we are making up to 24 mini focaccia’s, you can try 24 different toppings!
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Olive Oil and Salt: Drizzle olive oil over the focaccia and sprinkle with flaky sea salt for a classic finish.
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Fresh Herbs: Add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano for an aromatic touch.
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Cherry Tomatoes and Olives: Top with cherry tomatoes or sliced olives for a burst of flavor.
- Garlic confit: Brings a mild garlic flavour to your focaccia
My Top Tips for Making the Best Muffin Tin Focaccia
Leave the dough to rest and rise or proof as long as you can – if you have the time, I recommend leaving it for 24 – 72 hours in the fridge as this will result in a fluffier and lighter dough.
Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil and don’t be shy with it – this is a recipe that relies heavily on olive oil not just for the taste but also for the texture and that golden and crunchy crust.
Find a warm spot in your house for the second rise / proof – a room temperature environment will help the dough rise for its second rise. Make sure you cover it with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap so the top doesn’t dry out. If you are making your focaccia in winter, a little trick I learnt is to leave the light on in your oven and let the focaccia dough rise in there.
Use the right flour – while bread flour will leave you with a chewier texture, it can be a little hard to find! All purpose flour or wheat flour will work just as well!
Rise baby rise – You can use instant yeast or dry yeast for this recipe. If you’re using an active dry yeast, it needs to feed off honey or maple syrup in warm water. Leave it to sit in the bowl for 5 minutes or until bubbles start to form. This will indicate your yeast is alive.
What you need
When it comes to making the best focaccia, the quality of your ingredients can make all the difference. Here are some tips to ensure you choose the best:
Bread flour: I always like to use bread flour when making a bread recipe. If you can’t get your hands on it then never fear! All purpose flour or whole wheat flour will work well here too.
Olive oil: It wouldn’t be a focaccia recipe without olive oil! And lots of it. Focaccia dough gets it’s unique taste from the use of lots of olive oil. I always recommend using a high quality extra virgin olive oil when making focaccia.
Yeast: I like to use 7g sachets of active dry yeast. This is yeast that has been dehydrated and needs to be rehydrated in water. You can also use instant yeast and skip the hydration step.
Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs such as fresh rosemary, thyme or basil work beautifully for your focaccia dough toppings.
Flaky sea salt: This is also a great ingredient to use for your focaccia topping.
What is Focaccia?
Focaccia is a delightful Italian flatbread known for its signature dimples, which allow olive oil to seep in, creating a rich and flavorful crust. This versatile bread can be enjoyed as a side dish, used as a base for sandwiches, or topped with a variety of ingredients to suit your taste. Unlike pizza dough, focaccia has a softer, more tender texture, thanks to the generous use of extra virgin olive oil. This key ingredient not only imparts a unique taste but also contributes to the bread’s characteristic texture and golden, crunchy crust.
Love focaccia? Check out my other recipes
With these ingredients and tools at your disposal, you’re all set to create a delicious small batch focaccia bread that’s perfect for snacking or serving as a side dish. Happy baking!
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations from Daen’s Kitchen!
If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes.
Images by Alanna Penna Photography.
Muffin tin focaccia
Ingredients
- 700 g bread flour
- 680 g lukewarm water 100°F / 34°C
- 7 g dry yeast
- 12 g fine sea salt
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup optional
- 60 g olive oil extra virgin
- 2 sprigs rosemary finely chopped
Instructions
- Start by stirring lukewarm water, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl with a whisk. Wait for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, signalling that the yeast is ready. If using instant yeast, you can skip this step and combine the flour, water and yeast all at the same time.
- In a different large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Then, pour in the yeast mixture, stirring with a spoon or your hands to form a wet, sticky dough without dry spots. Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp cloth for 10 minutes.
- Afterward, with damp hands, stretch a piece of the dough and fold it across itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action three more times, covering the dough again for another 10 minutes. This is the stretch and fold method and it will strengthen your dough.
- Continue this stretching and folding process until the dough shapes into a ball.
- Coat the dough with 20g of olive oil, moving the dough around with your hands to ensure it's well coated and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rest in the fridge between 18 to 72 hours; this is the first proof.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean working surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 24 pieces. Take each piece and weigh it on a digital scale. They should weigh roughly 60g but we do not have to be precise here.
- Oil a muffin tin with 20g olive oil and place the divided dough into the individual muffin tins. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave to proof for 1 - 2 hours in a warm spot until the dougb has risen.
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F)
- After the rise, dimple the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle rosemary on top, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, and season with flaky sea salt. Bake for 30 minutes until golden on top.
- Allow the focaccia to slightly cool before removing them from the tin. Place onto a wire rack and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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