Mini focaccia rolls

Mini focaccia rolls are individual sized versions of this Italian style bread baked in a muffin tin and topped with olive oil, sea salt and herbs. This Italian inspired recipe is a variation on rosemary focaccia with the dough being baked in individual sized portions.

Mini focaccia rolls pair well with many pasta dishes such as this recipe for cheese and spinach cannelloni, homemade ravioli, scrambled egg pasta, roast vegetable pesto pasta and salads. They can also be used to make sandwiches or served as an appetiser with dipping oil.

You can personalise them with toppings of your choice such as sliced olives, roast garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, slithers of red onion or sun dried tomatoes.

These focaccia rolls are freezer friendly and are quick to defrost whenever you are ready to serve them.

If you are feeling creative you may like to add some focaccia artwork to a tin of homemade focaccia.

If you are looking for other easy bread recipes you may also like to make a batch of rosemary and olive tear and share rolls, make this easy no knead olive bread or this apricot and cashew loaf.

This focaccia recipe will make 12 muffin sized focaccia rolls.

Ingredients

For the focaccia dough

• 500 grams strong flour (bread flour)
• 2.5 teaspoons easy bake yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 370 ml water - hand hot.

To oil the muffin tin

• About 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (1 teaspoon per muffin tin hole)

Toppings

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• Optional toppings - green or black olives, slices of roasted pepper, chopped sun dried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.

To prepare the focaccia dough

Place the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl and mix. 

Heat the water to hand hot and add to the dry ingredients.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil.

If using an electric mixer with dough hooks, mix for around 3 to 4 minutes.

To knead by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes.

The focaccia dough should be wet after kneading. If the dough seems too dry add a little extra hand hot water.

Cover the dough and leave to prove in a warm place for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

Tip the dough onto a floured board and fold over 3 or 4 times and divide into 12 equal portions.

Oil the holes of a 12 hole muffin tin (including the sides) using about 1 teaspoon olive oil for each hole.

Put a ball of the dough into each hole of the muffin tin.

Leave to prove in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until the balls of dough have risen slightly.

Make dimples in the top of the dough and drizzle olive oil over the top.

Top with chopped rosemary and sea salt or any other toppings of your choice.

To bake

Bake at 200^oC, 400^oF, gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes or until firm and slightly golden.

Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

To serve

• Serve your focaccia either warm or cold.
• Serve with pasta dishes such as this vegetarian baked cannelloni or homemade cheese and spinach ravioli.
• Focaccia also pairs well with risotto including broccoli and blue cheese risotto and broad bean and squash risotto.

To store

• While focaccia can be stored in an airtight container until the next day, I find it is at its best on the day it is baked. Ideally freeze any mini focaccia rolls which you are not going to eat on the day they are baked.
• Freeze in an airtight container. Defrost either at room temperature or using a microwave.

Recipes to pair with focaccia