Apulian St. Joseph’s Focaccia – Traditional recipe from Gravina.
This St. Joseph’s focaccia is deeply rooted in the traditions of Gravina in Apulia, a dish that smells of history, family rituals and authentic flavors.
It looks simple, but it contains all the character of Apulian cuisine: humble ingredients, ancient gestures and a result that wins you over at first bite. Its rolled, spiral shape is the typical one, and once baked it releases an aroma that fills the kitchen and immediately evokes the March celebrations for St. Joseph.
The traditional filling is a little masterpiece of balance: anchovies, “sponsali” onions and sultanas.
“Sponsali” are local white spring onions that are not always easy to find outside Apulia, but they can be replaced with high-quality white onions without losing the soul of the recipe.
The anchovies provide saltiness, the onions become sweet and tender during cooking, while the raisins add a slightly sweet note that makes this focaccia unique.
It is precisely this contrast of sweet, salty and aromatic flavors that makes it so special.
The preparation is simple but requires care: the dough is rolled out, filled and rolled up gently, then shaped into its characteristic spiral.
In the oven it puffs slightly, browns and becomes crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with a juicy filling that blends perfectly with the dough.
The focaccia typical of St. Joseph is perfect to serve as an appetizer, as a rustic main dish or to bring to the table during the festivities.
It is a recipe that tells of the territory, speaks of tradition and deserves to be passed on.
Making it means bringing a piece of Apulia into your kitchen, with a flavor that is not easily forgotten.
Approx. 803 kcal per person
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Moderate
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 1 focaccia for 5 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian regional
- Region: Apulia
- Seasonality: Father's Day
Ingredients to make the Apulian St. Joseph’s Focaccia
- 0.35 oz Fresh baker's yeast
- 1 1/4 cups Water (warm)
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 1/3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 1/4 cups Durum (hard wheat) flour
- 1 cup Type 0 flour (+ 1/4 cup for final handling)
- 4 1/2 lbs Onions (sponsali (white spring onions))
- 1 1/3 cups Sultana raisins
- 5.6 oz Anchovies in oil (drained)
- 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- to taste Salt
Tools
- 1 Baking pan round
Preparation of the Apulian St. Joseph’s Focaccia
In a bowl put the water and dissolve the fresh yeast and the sugar, then add the durum wheat flour and start kneading; meanwhile add the salt, the extra virgin olive oil and finally the remaining type 0 flour to complete the dough, obtaining a firm, non-sticky ball.
Place it to rise in a covered bowl for a couple of hours, or until doubled, in a warm place.
Meanwhile, slice the onions very thinly using a mandoline; then take a pan with fairly high sides, put in the 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and heat it, then add the onions, season with salt and cook over medium-high heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting the salt.
Let them cool before using.
Soak the raisins in hot water for at least 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Drain the anchovies and set aside.
When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured work surface, shape it into a ball again and roll it out into a thin but not too thin rectangular sheet….
…fill it with the prepared onions, then add the drained anchovies in pieces and the sultana raisins.
Roll the sheet up along the longer side to obtain a log, then wind the log around itself to form a spiral.
Grease a round pan (I used parchment paper because the pan’s base is a bit damaged and I needed it this large), place the spiral in it, press it slightly so that it spreads a bit and then brush the surface with oil.
In practice we used 2 tbsp of oil to cook the onions and the remaining oil will be used to grease the pan and the focaccia.
Let it rest for about 1 hour more, just enough for it to rise again a little.
Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for 50–60 minutes, checking the cooking.
Serve warm, but not piping hot; let it rest a few minutes before slicing.
