The focaccia with peppers and onions is another tasty variation of the classic Focaccia and if you are like me, passionate about easy and quick leavened breads, you must try this super-easy pepper focaccia.

At home everyone loves focaccias: I adore the onion focaccia, my husband adores the rustic stone-baked focaccia, my boys go wild for the soft milk rolls and Irene is crazy about the sweet Genoese focaccia. There are so many focaccia recipes on my blog. A few days ago I got my hands in the dough to relax and, since I had some peppers to use in the fridge, I prepared a tall focaccia with peppers and onions.

A perfect snack also great as an appetizer or a light meal — it can be eaten for lunch or dinner and is ideal for vegetarians and vegans, yet so tasty that everyone will enjoy it. Pepper focaccia is good on its own but can also be served with cold cuts and salads and is always a winner. This focaccia is crispy outside and super soft inside; it’s best enjoyed warm, but can also be eaten at room temperature. Want to try it? Let’s go to the kitchen and discover the recipe for focaccia with peppers and onions — you’ll see how successful it will be. Before getting your hands in the dough, I suggest you take a look at my special dedicated to focaccias, and remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).

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Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very inexpensive
Rest time: 3 Hours
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 6
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Autumn

Ingredients to make focaccia with peppers and onions

1 3/4 cups re-milled durum wheat semolina (or "00" flour)
1 cup water (warm)
1 1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (level)
1 tsp dry yeast (or 12 g fresh)
1 3/4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion (large)
1 red bell pepper (or yellow)
to taste black pepper

Tools

Bowl
Baking pan
Oven

Steps to make focaccia with peppers and onions

Place the flours in a bowl — you can use semolina as I did or replace it with “00” flour. Add the yeast and mix it in the bowl with half of the water, add the sugar and stir.
Add the oil, the salt and a little more water, mix roughly, then pour in the rest of the liquid, mix again and let rest for 10 minutes. Depending on the flour used, remember to adjust the amount of liquid by adding it little by little — semolina usually absorbs more liquid than “00” flour.
Knead in the bowl and then move to the work surface.
Work the dough without adding flour; at first it will be very sticky, but after about ten minutes it will come together and you will be able to form a smooth, even loaf. Having a stand mixer will make things easier, so use one if you can.
Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and keep it warm, for example in the oven with the light on, so that it triples in size. This may take two to three hours, but times are indicative — wait until the dough has tripled.
Once risen, turn the dough out onto a baking pan about 12 inches in diameter or roughly 10 x 12 inches, lined with parchment paper and brushed with a little oil. Using oiled hands and without deflating it too much, spread the dough to cover the pan. Put it back in a warm place to prove for 45 minutes or until doubled.
When it has risen, use your fingertips to make the classic dimples in the focaccia and distribute the prepared vegetables on top, finishing with a sprinkle of black pepper. Bake in a hot oven at 392°F on the lower-middle rack (second-to-last position) in fan/ convection mode for 20–25 minutes or until golden — the same timing applies for a conventional oven. Be careful the vegetables don’t burn; if they start to brown too quickly, lower the temperature slightly.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
For the vegetables: peel the onion, rinse and slice it thinly. Rinse the bell pepper, remove seeds and membranes and cut into thin rings. Put everything in a bowl, add a good glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt and toss before spreading over the focaccia.
Our focaccia with peppers and onions is ready to serve. Any leftovers can be wrapped well in parchment paper and enjoyed the next day, either warm or at room temperature.