Cloud-like Milk Focaccine: the Easy Recipe for a Perfect Picnic
Who said that bringing something authentic to the table requires hours and hours of proofing? Although long-leavened breads are synonymous with deliciousness, I firmly believe you can indulge in easy and relatively quick recipes. After all, the motto of my blog is exactly this: easy cooking!
Today I suggest milk focaccine as soft as clouds, with a medium proof and 55% hydration, so a great compromise even for ease of handling the dough. Born from an idea during a last-minute countryside Sunday, I was looking for the perfect picnic snack and here they are, little treats that exceeded every expectation.
Why you’ll love these milk focaccine
Once in the oven, your kitchen will be filled with an intoxicating aroma. But beware: these focaccine are addictive! They are so good that after the first one you won’t be able to stop.
The recipe makes about twenty pieces, an ideal supply for healthy snacks for your kids, a birthday buffet or house parties, quick snacks to have on hand and of course the classic day trips and picnics.
How to enjoy your soft focaccine
The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. You can enjoy them plain to appreciate the sweetness of the milk, or slice them in half and fill them with
Other focaccia or baked goods recipes for buffets or picnics you might like:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Low cost
- Rest time: 4 Hours 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 20 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
⚠ IN THIS RECIPE THERE ARE ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, at no extra cost to you!
- 300 g Manitoba flour
- 100 g 00 flour
- 130 ml Milk (warm)
- 120 ml Water (warm)
- 50 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 8 g Fresh brewer's yeast (or 3 g dry yeast)
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 7 g Salt (+ to taste)
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- to taste dried oregano
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Tea towel
- 1 Rolling pin
Preparation
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flours. Make a well and add the oil around the edges.
Dissolve the yeast in the warmed milk with the sugar, then pour it into the center.
Mix initially with a wooden spoon or proceed at low speed if using a stand mixer.
Slowly add the warm water, continuing to mix.
Finally add the salt and begin kneading for about 2–3 minutes. Keep the mixer at low speed if using one.
Transfer to a work surface and continue to knead the dough for several minutes (it will take about 10 minutes by hand; about 5 minutes with a mixer).
Shape into a smooth, homogeneous loaf and place it in the same slightly oiled mixing bowl, covered with a dry tea towel. Let it rise for about 2 hours in a turned-off oven with the light on.
After this time it should have doubled in volume. If not, leave it to rise longer.
Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface, widening it with your hands and only using a rolling pin if necessary. This way you won’t deflate the leavening bubbles.
Reach a thickness of 1 in (about 2.5 cm) and using a cookie cutter or a glass with a diameter of about 2 3/8–2 3/4 in (6–7 cm), cut out disks. Of course, the focaccine can also be made larger, for example up to 4 3/4 in (12 cm), depending on how many you want to make and for what use.
Place them spaced apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brushed with oil. Cover with a tea towel and let them rest for 2 hours and 20 minutes inside the turned-off oven with the light on.
After this time, gently press the surface of the focaccine with your fingertips to create the characteristic dimples, four or five for each focaccina.
Brush the surface of the focaccine with olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste (omit if they are for children).
Place in the center of each focaccina half a cherry tomato previously cut in half, and sprinkle with oregano to taste.
Put them in a preheated oven, conventional (static) mode at 356°F (about 180°C) for approximately 18–20 minutes, then remove from the oven. While still hot, use a small brush and a little water to moisten the surface to make them even softer and remove any crust that may form during baking.
The next day, simply heat them for 1 minute in the microwave and they will return soft as freshly baked.
And voilà… the milk focaccine with cherry tomatoes and oregano are ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 At room temperature: Store them in a food bag or an airtight container. They stay perfect for 2–3 days. If after a day they seem less soft, heat them for 15–20 seconds (in the microwave). The moisture will make them warm and very soft again.
👉 In the freezer: you can freeze them once cooled. Just take them out a few hours before use or defrost them directly in the oven or microwave for a last-minute snack.
1. Can I use plant-based milk?
Yes, you can replace cow’s milk with any unsweetened plant-based milk (such as soy or oat), provided it is not sweetened to keep the flavor balanced.
2. Can I prepare the dough the night before?
Absolutely yes. You can let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight, but I recommend reducing the yeast to 3–4 g; in the morning let it acclimate for an hour at room temperature before shaping the focaccine and baking.
