Flavored pan focaccia
Saag Paneer Focaccia (North Indian-Inspired)
Spiced spinach and mustard greens cooked down and squeezed dry, dotted with soft paneer over a tall, olive-oil-rich focaccia.
- Total
- 11.5 hr
- Hands-on
- 35 min
- Hydration
- 72%
- Skill
- intermediate
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Cook spiced spinach and mustard greens down and drain them hard, then dot a proofed 72% hydration focaccia dough (500 g flour, 360 g water, 10 g salt, 4 g yeast, olive oil) with the greens and paneer and bake at 230°C/450°F for 20–24 minutes.
Why this works
Greens are mostly water; cooking them down and squeezing the paste dry is what keeps the focaccia from steaming into a soggy mat. Concentrating the greens also concentrates the spice, so a thin layer reads as full saag flavor while the high-hydration crumb still bakes tall and open.
The schedule
~45m hands-on of 11.3h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 45m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 8h
- Bake · 22m
- Cool · 10m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Cook and drain the greens
Sauté onion, garlic, ginger and green chili in oil until soft. Stir in cumin, coriander and garam masala, then add the greens and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook down until collapsed and thick, then transfer to a sieve and press out as much liquid as you can. You want a stiff, spreadable paste.
Look for: When you press a spoon into the drained greens, no watery pool should form. This is the step that protects the crumb.
Avoid: Do not skip the draining: wet greens will steam the dough and give a gummy, pale top.
- 2
Mix the dough
Whisk flour and yeast; add water and 25 g oil, then salt. Mix to a wet, shaggy dough with no dry flour.
Look for: Loose and sticky, clinging to the bowl.
- 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
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
Dimple, top and bake
Dimple with oiled fingertips and drizzle with olive oil. Dot spoonfuls of the drained greens across the surface (leave gaps of bare dough), press in the paneer cubes, and bake at 230°C/450°F for 20–24 minutes.
Look for: The exposed crumb browns and puffs between the green mounds; paneer edges catch a little color.
- 6
After baking
Cool a few minutes and drizzle with a little olive oil before slicing.
Look for: A brief rest lets the crumb set so the green-topped slices hold together.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Open and tender where the dough is exposed.
- Crust: Crisp oiled base; green-dotted top.
- Height: About 3 cm tall.
- Color: Deep-gold crumb between the greens.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Gummy, pale top | Greens too wet | Cook the greens down further and press them firmly in a sieve until no liquid weeps out. |
| Green layer tastes flat | Greens under-reduced, so spice is diluted | Reduce until stiff — concentration is what carries the flavor. |
| Whole top is green and steamed | Greens spread edge to edge | Dot the greens and leave bare dough between so it can brown and vent steam. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Best the day it is baked. Refrigerate up to 2 days.
Reheating: Warm in a 200°C/400°F oven 5 minutes to re-crisp the base.
Contains wheat/gluten and dairy (paneer; ghee if used).
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.
Fresh — buy local
- Fresh vegetables (opens Amazon) ↗ — Buy fresh and in season.
- Onions (opens Amazon) ↗ — A kitchen staple; buy fresh.
- Garlic (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fresh heads; infuse in oil rather than scattering raw.
- Fresh ginger (opens Amazon) ↗ — A common item; buy fresh or from your pantry.
- Cheese (opens Amazon) ↗ — Buy fresh from a good cheese counter or deli.
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 use frozen spinach?
- Yes — thaw it fully and squeeze it very dry before cooking. Frozen spinach holds a lot of water, so draining matters even more.
- Why dot the greens instead of spreading them?
- A full green blanket traps steam and stops the surface browning. Dotting lets the exposed dough crisp and vent while you still get saag flavor in every bite.
Keep baking
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Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/saag-paneer-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.