Focaccia senza confini
Focaccia is Italian in origin — and its dimpled, olive-oiled dough is one of the great blank canvases in baking. These 44 recipes borrow flavors from cuisines around the world.
A note on names
These are focaccia inspired by other cuisines — not traditional dishes of those cultures, and not other breads under a new name. A focaccia topped with za’atar does not become manakish; one with tandoori paneer does not become naan. Each recipe says what inspired it and how it differs.
Za’atar, sumac, harissa, feta and preserved lemon — bright, herbal, sun-warmed flavors.
Sweet-savory focaccia with jammy dates, toasted sesame and a floral orange-blossom syrup — the perfume of North African and Middle Eastern sweets on an airy crumb.
Sweet, caramelized roasted carrots on a soft focaccia, finished with a crunchy shower of Egyptian dukkah — toasted hazelnuts, sesame, coriander and cumin.
Creamy-salty feta, sweet burst cherry tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and a heavy hand of dried oregano — a sun-warmed Greek-inspired focaccia.
Golden, squeaky halloumi that browns instead of melting, sweet roasted peppers baked into the crumb, and a shower of cool fresh mint over a crisp focaccia.
Smoky, garlicky harissa swirled with salty preserved lemon and a warm caraway-coriander hum over an airy focaccia — North African heat on a pillowy Italian crumb.
Cool, tangy labneh smeared over warm focaccia and piled with crisp cucumber, ruby sumac, mint and a slick of green olive oil — a fresh, mezze-style open focaccia.
Sweet-smoky roasted red pepper and walnut muhammara with a tang of pomegranate molasses, swooped over a warm focaccia and showered with toasted walnuts.
Herbal, tangy za'atar oil and briny olives over a tall, airy focaccia — the sumac-and-sesame aroma of a Levantine spice blend on a pillowy Italian crumb.
French onion, Provençal herbs, Spanish chorizo and Nordic dill — Europe’s wider table.
Softened sweet leeks and sharp mature cheddar melted over a golden focaccia — the comforting flavors of a British cheese-and-leek pie.
Slow-caramelized onions, melted Gruyère and thyme over a pillowy focaccia — the sweet-savoury aroma of French onion soup in a sheet-pan bread.
A warm potato-and-dill focaccia crowned after baking with cold smoked salmon, lemony crème and fresh dill — the fresh, briny flavors of a Nordic smørrebrød.
Herbes de Provence, drained cherry tomatoes and black olives over a golden focaccia — the sun-warmed aromatics of the south of France.
Roasted aubergine, courgette, pepper and tomato with thyme over a golden focaccia — the summer-vegetable flavors of a Provençal ratatouille.
Paper-thin potato and onion dusted with pimentón over a golden focaccia — smoky, earthy and crisp-edged, from the Spanish paprika pantry.
Smoky cured chorizo rendering pimentón-red oil, nutty Manchego and sweet roasted pepper over a golden focaccia — the flavors of a Spanish tapas bar.
Everything-bagel, jalapeño-cheddar, hot honey and holiday-table flavors.
Smoky-sweet barbecue sauce, tender pre-cooked chicken and sharp red onion over a pillowy focaccia, with a little extra sauce brushed on after baking.
Tangy, buttery hot sauce and shredded chicken over a pillowy focaccia, finished with a cool blue-cheese or ranch drizzle — the flavor of buffalo wings, sliceable.
Toasty garlic, onion, poppy and sesame over a pillowy, olive-oil focaccia — the whole everything-bagel aroma without the boil-and-bake.
Crisp, curled pepperoni over molten mozzarella on a pillowy focaccia, finished with a sweet-and-spicy hot honey drizzle after baking.
Sharp cheddar and bright, gentle heat from jalapeño over a tall olive-oil focaccia — the flavor of a good jalapeño cheese bread, in a pan.
Tangy, creamy pimento cheese — sharp cheddar, sweet roasted pepper and a little heat — swirled onto a pillowy focaccia so it melts without splitting.
Sage, thyme, sweated celery and onion baked right into a tall, buttery focaccia — the aroma of Thanksgiving stuffing in a savory holiday loaf.
Elote, poblano, chimichurri, mojo and sweet guava — vivid, citrusy, warm.
Sweet roasted peppers baked into a soft focaccia, then flooded with raw Argentine chimichurri — garlic, parsley, oregano, and red-wine vinegar — the moment it comes out of the oven.
Crumbles of spiced Mexican chorizo and thin potato baked into a rich focaccia, then finished with sharp pink pickled red onion — the taco-de-papa-con-chorizo craving in bread form.
A soft, lightly sweet dessert focaccia swirled with warm dulce de leche and finished with flaky sea salt — caramel and salt over a pillowy crumb.
Charred sweet corn and salty cotija baked into a pillowy focaccia, then finished with chile-lime, crema, and cilantro the way a paper cup of elote hits you all at once.
Molten pockets of ruby guava paste and tangy cream cheese baked into a lightly sweet focaccia — the flavors of a guava-and-cheese pastelito in a pillowy loaf.
Garlicky citrus-marinated pork and soft sweet onions baked into a tender focaccia, brightened with a spoon of raw Cuban mojo and oregano after the oven.
Smoky roasted poblano strips and pools of melting queso baked into an airy focaccia — the mild-chile, creamy-cheese comfort of rajas con crema in bread form.
Tandoori, garlic-cilantro, spiced potato and pea — aromatic North Indian flavors.
The garlicky, herb-flecked aroma of a garlic naan — lots of minced garlic, fresh cilantro and toasty nigella seeds — on a tall, buttery focaccia.
The spiced potato-and-pea filling of a samosa — cumin, turmeric, amchur and green chili — pressed into a tall, olive-oil-rich focaccia.
Spiced spinach and mustard greens cooked down and squeezed dry, dotted with soft paneer over a tall, olive-oil-rich focaccia.
Smoky yogurt-marinated paneer, warm garam-masala heat and charred cubes of cheese pressed into a tall, olive-oil-rich focaccia.
Miso, kimchi, gochujang and chili crisp — savory, fermented, deeply umami.
Mellow garlic confit baked into a tall focaccia, then finished with a glossy, crunchy spoonful of Chinese chili crisp for numbing-savory heat.
Sweet-spicy gochujang glaze over roasted, pre-cooked mushrooms on a tall focaccia — savory, umami and glossy with a sesame finish.
Tangy, spicy drained kimchi and scallion caramelizing into a tall focaccia with a savory, gently funky, sesame-touched finish.
Savory-sweet miso butter melting into a tall focaccia, scattered with scallion and toasted sesame for a deeply umami, nutty finish.
Berbere, chermoula, peri-peri, ras el hanout and suya — named traditions, not one “Africa”.
Warm, smoky Ethiopian berbere bloomed in olive oil over jammy caramelized onions — chili heat, fenugreek and cardamom on a tall, airy focaccia.
A vivid Moroccan chermoula — cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin and paprika — spooned over the crust after baking, with bright salty preserved lemon in the crumb.
Bird's-eye chili heat, garlic, lemon and smoked paprika from the Portuguese-African peri-peri tradition, over pre-cooked chicken on an airy focaccia.
Warm, floral Moroccan ras el hanout — cinnamon, cumin, coriander, rose and ginger — over sweet roasted squash on a tall, airy focaccia.
Nigerian yaji — a nutty, smoky suya spice of ground peanut, ginger, chili and paprika — over pre-cooked beef and onion on an airy focaccia.
Roasted pumpkin and feta, beetroot and goat cheese — modern cafe flavors.
A modern Australian cafe favorite — earthy roasted beetroot and tangy goat cheese, added partway through the bake so the cheese stays creamy, on an airy focaccia.
A modern Australian cafe trio — sweet roasted pumpkin, salty feta and buttery native macadamia — over a tall, airy focaccia.