Roasted-pepper-and-walnut focaccia
Muhammara & Walnut Focaccia (Syrian-Inspired)
Sweet-smoky roasted red pepper and walnut muhammara with a tang of pomegranate molasses, swooped over a warm focaccia and showered with toasted walnuts.
- Total
- 4.2 hr
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Hydration
- 78%
- Skill
- intermediate
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Bake a plain 78% hydration olive-oil focaccia, then spread muhammara (roasted red pepper, walnut, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper) over the warm bread after baking — it is never baked, because its sugars and walnuts scorch under oven heat.
Why this works
Muhammara is loaded with the natural sugars of roasted pepper and pomegranate molasses plus oil-rich walnuts, all of which burn and turn bitter under direct heat. Treating it as a warm-bread spread, added entirely after baking, keeps its sweet-smoky-tangy balance intact while the focaccia provides the crisp, oily base.
The schedule
~40m hands-on of 4.3h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 40m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 1h
- Bake · 22m
- Cool · 15m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Mix
Whisk flour and yeast, add water and the 25 g olive oil, then the salt. Mix to a shaggy, very sticky dough.
Look for: Loose and slack — it should pour and cling rather than form a ball.
- 2
Bulk ferment with folds
Do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds over the first hour, then let the dough rise until nearly doubled.
Look for: Bubbly, domed surface; the dough feels light and full of air.
- 3
Make the muhammara
While the dough ferments, blend the drained peppers, most of the walnuts, pomegranate molasses, breadcrumbs, Aleppo pepper, cumin, olive oil, lemon and salt to a thick, spreadable paste. Taste and adjust. Refrigerate.
Look for: Brick-red, coarse-textured, thick enough to hold a swoosh; sweet, smoky and tangy on the tongue.
- 4
Pan and proof
Oil a 30×40 cm sheet pan well, transfer the dough, stretch toward the corners, and proof until puffy.
Look for: It fills most of the pan and jiggles when nudged.
- 5
Dimple and bake plain
Dimple the dough with oiled fingers, drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt, and bake at 230°C/450°F for 20–24 minutes until deep gold. Do not add muhammara yet.
Look for: A crisp, golden, glossy top with a firm browned base.
Avoid: Never bake the muhammara on top — its pepper sugars, pomegranate molasses and walnuts scorch and turn bitter.
- 6
After baking: spread the muhammara
Cool the focaccia 10 minutes so it is warm, not hot. Swoop the muhammara over the surface, scatter the reserved toasted walnuts, and drizzle with a little more pomegranate molasses. Slice and serve.
Look for: The spread sits glossy on the warm bread; walnuts add crunch against the soft crumb.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Open and airy from the high hydration.
- Crust: Crisp, oily base; tender top under the spread.
- Height: About 3 cm tall.
- Color: Deep gold before the muhammara goes on.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter, burnt topping | Muhammara baked in the oven | Bake the focaccia plain and add the muhammara only after baking. |
| Runny, sliding spread | Peppers not drained; paste too loose | Pat peppers dry and add breadcrumbs until it holds a swoosh. |
| Soggy top under the spread | Muhammara added to piping-hot bread that then sweats | Let the focaccia cool to warm first and keep the layer moderate. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Store the plain focaccia and the muhammara separately, refrigerated, up to 3 days; assemble to serve.
Freezing: Freeze cooled plain focaccia up to 1 month; muhammara keeps refrigerated about 4 days (not ideal frozen).
Reheating: Re-crisp plain focaccia in a 200°C/400°F oven 4–6 minutes, then top with muhammara.
Contains wheat/gluten and tree nuts (walnuts); breadcrumbs add more gluten. Vegan as written.
Tools & ingredients for this focaccia
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Core pantry
- Bread flour (opens Amazon) ↗ — High-protein bread flour or Italian “00” both work.
- Fine sea salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fine sea salt for the dough.
- Instant yeast (opens Amazon) ↗ — Instant (or active dry) yeast keeps for months.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (opens Amazon) ↗ — Use a good EVOO you like the taste of.
- Nuts (opens Amazon) ↗ — Buy in small amounts; store cool.
Fresh — buy local
- Fresh vegetables (opens Amazon) ↗ — Buy fresh and in season.
- Pomegranate molasses (opens Amazon) ↗ — A common item; buy fresh or from your pantry.
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
- Can I bake the muhammara onto the focaccia?
- No — the roasted-pepper sugars, pomegranate molasses and walnut oils scorch bitter. Bake the bread plain and spread the muhammara over it warm.
- What is pomegranate molasses?
- A tangy-sweet syrup of reduced pomegranate juice used across the Levant. It gives muhammara its signature sour-sweet edge.
Keep baking
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Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/muhammara-walnut-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.