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Flavored pan focaccia

Gochujang & Mushroom Focaccia (Korean-Inspired)

Sweet-spicy gochujang glaze over roasted, pre-cooked mushrooms on a tall focaccia — savory, umami and glossy with a sesame finish.

Total
11.3 hr
Hands-on
30 min
Hydration
74%
Skill
intermediate
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By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending

Illustration of Gochujang & Mushroom Focaccia (Korean-Inspired)
Recipe visualization — not a photograph of this bake.

The short version

Pre-cook mushrooms until browned and dry, thin gochujang into a glaze, then bake a 74% hydration focaccia (500 g flour, 370 g water, 9 g salt, 4 g yeast, olive oil) with the mushrooms, brushing the gochujang glaze on for only the last few minutes at 230°C/450°F.

Why this works

Mushrooms are watery, so cooking them down before topping stops them steaming the crumb. Gochujang contains sugar and fermented soybean, which scorches easily — brushing it on late (or after) lets it glaze glossily and stay savory-sweet instead of burning bitter.

The schedule

~40m hands-on of 11.2h total · same day

  • Mix & fold · 40m
  • Bulk ferment · 2h
  • Proof · 8h
  • Bake · 22m
  • Cool · 10m

Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.

Ingredients

Batch:
Dough
Mushrooms
Gochujang glaze & finishing

Method

  1. 1

    Cook the mushrooms

    Sauté the mushrooms in the neutral oil over fairly high heat until they release their water and it cooks off, then brown. Add garlic and soy for the last minute. Spread out to cool.

    Look for: Deeply browned, shrunken and dry — no liquid left in the pan. This keeps the focaccia from going soggy.

    Avoid: Cook the mushrooms fully dry before topping; raw mushrooms would weep water into the crumb.

  2. 2

    Mix the glaze and the dough

    Whisk the gochujang with sesame oil, rice vinegar, optional honey and enough water to make a brushable glaze; set aside. For the dough, whisk flour and yeast; add water and 25 g olive oil, then the 9 g salt, and mix to a wet, shaggy dough.

    Look for: The glaze should ribbon off the spoon; the dough should be loose and sticky.

  3. 3

    Bulk ferment with folds

    Do 2–3 stretch-and-folds over the first 90 minutes, then let rise until nearly doubled.

    Look for: Bubbly, airy and extensible.

  4. 4

    Pan and proof

    Oil a 30×40 cm sheet pan. Stretch the dough to the edges (rest and repeat if it resists). Proof until puffy, about 1 hour.

    Look for: The dough fills the pan and jiggles when nudged.

  5. 5

    Dimple, top with mushrooms and bake

    Dimple with oiled fingertips and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter the cooled mushrooms over the surface and bake at 230°C/450°F for about 16 minutes — WITHOUT the gochujang yet.

    Look for: The crust is setting and going gold; mushrooms take on a little more color.

  6. 6

    Glaze late and finish the bake

    Pull the pan, brush the gochujang glaze in a light, moderate coat over the mushrooms and dough, then return for a final 4–6 minutes until glossy and just set.

    Look for: The glaze looks lacquered and slightly darkened, not blackened.

    Avoid: Gochujang has sugar and burns fast — add it only for the last few minutes and keep the coat moderate.

  7. 7

    After baking

    Scatter with toasted sesame seeds and fresh scallion.

    Look for: Raw scallion and sesame stay bright against the glossy red glaze.

What good looks like

  • Crumb: Open and tender under a savory, glossy top.
  • Crust: Crisp oiled base; lacquered red-brown top.
  • Height: About 3 cm tall.
  • Color: Deep gold crumb; glossy, gently darkened glaze.

If something went wrong

SymptomLikely causeFix
Bitter, blackened glazeGochujang added early or too thickBrush a moderate coat on only for the last 4–6 minutes (or after baking).
Soggy under the mushroomsMushrooms not cooked downSauté the mushrooms until browned and dry before topping.
Too saltyGochujang plus soy plus full-salt doughKeep the dough at ~1.8% salt (9 g) as written.

Full troubleshooting guide →

Storing & reheating

Storage: Best the day it is baked. Refrigerate up to 2 days.

Reheating: Warm in a 200°C/400°F oven 4–5 minutes; add fresh scallion after.

Contains wheat/gluten, soy (gochujang, soy sauce) and sesame.

Tools & ingredients for this focaccia

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Core pantry

Specialty ingredients

Fresh — buy local

You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.

Frequently asked

Is this a Korean bread?
No. It is an Italian focaccia glazed with Korean gochujang and topped with mushrooms — a fusion, not a traditional Korean baked good.
Why add the gochujang so late?
Gochujang contains sugar and fermented grain, both of which burn quickly. Brushing it on for the last few minutes lets it turn glossy and savory-sweet instead of bitter.

Keep baking

Kimchi & Scallion Focaccia (Korean-Inspired)Miso, Scallion & Sesame Focaccia (Japanese-Inspired)Chili Crisp & Garlic Confit Focaccia (Chinese-Inspired)Focaccia Troubleshooting: Why It Went Wrong and How to Fix ItFocaccia Fermentation & Proofing Basics

In these collections

Same-Day FocacciaSpicy FocacciaVegetarian FocacciaAutumn FocacciaWinter FocacciaFocaccia with Global Flavors

Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/gochujang-mushroom-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com

In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.