Thin-potato sheet-pan focaccia
Smoked Paprika, Potato & Onion Focaccia (Spanish-Inspired)
Paper-thin potato and onion dusted with pimentón over a golden focaccia — smoky, earthy and crisp-edged, from the Spanish paprika pantry.
- Total
- 4.6 hr
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Hydration
- 70%
- Skill
- intermediate
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Slice potatoes paper-thin (about 2 mm), toss with oil, salt and smoked paprika, layer with thin onion over a 70% hydration focaccia, and bake at 230°C/450°F for 24–28 minutes until the potatoes are tender and crisp at the edges.
Why this works
Slicing the potatoes paper-thin and coating them in oil means they cook through and crisp in the time the bread bakes, instead of staying hard; a slightly lower 70% hydration gives a sturdier base to carry the dense potato layer; smoked paprika perfumes the oil without burning if it is kept in the oil, not dusted dry on high heat.
The schedule
~40m hands-on of 4.4h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 40m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 1h
- Bake · 26m
- Cool · 15m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Slice and dress the potatoes
Slice the potatoes paper-thin on a mandoline. Toss them and the onion with the 20 g oil, the 1/2 tsp salt and the smoked paprika until every slice is coated.
Look for: Slices are translucent-thin and evenly stained orange with paprika oil; no dry paprika clumps.
Avoid: Thick slices will not cook through in the bake and stay hard — aim for about 2 mm. Keeping the paprika in oil (not dusted dry) stops it scorching bitter.
- 2
Mix the dough
Whisk flour and yeast, add water and 20 g of the oil, then salt. Mix to a shaggy, sticky dough.
Look for: Tacky and cohesive; firmer than a very high-hydration focaccia.
- 3
Bulk ferment with folds
Do 2–3 stretch-and-folds over 90 minutes, then rest until nearly doubled.
Look for: Puffy and bubbly.
- 4
Pan and proof
Oil the pan with the remaining dough oil, add the dough, stretch toward the edges, and proof until puffy, about 1 hour.
Look for: Dough fills the pan and jiggles when nudged.
- 5
Dimple, layer and bake
Dimple all over with oiled fingers. Lay the potato and onion slices in overlapping rows across the whole surface, scatter rosemary, and bake at 230°C/450°F for 24–28 minutes.
Look for: Potato edges curl, crisp and brown; a slice is tender all the way through when pierced.
- 6
Finish and cool
Drizzle the finishing oil, sprinkle flaky salt, and cool on a rack 10–15 minutes before slicing.
Look for: Potatoes stay crisp on the edges while the crumb sets underneath.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Airy but sturdy enough to carry the potato layer.
- Crust: Crisp base; crisp-edged potatoes on top.
- Height: About 3 cm tall.
- Color: Golden crust, burnished paprika-orange potatoes.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Potatoes still hard | Sliced too thick or oven not hot enough | Slice ~2 mm on a mandoline, coat in oil, and bake the full 24–28 minutes at 230°C/450°F. |
| Bitter, acrid paprika | Dry paprika scorched on the surface | Keep the paprika in the oil coating the potatoes rather than dusting it dry on top. |
| Base gummy under the potatoes | Hydration too high / dense wet layer | Use the 70% dough and lay potatoes in a single overlapping layer, not stacked. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Keep covered at room temperature 1 day, or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Freezing: Freeze cooled pieces up to 1 month; the potato softens on thawing.
Reheating: Re-crisp in a 210°C/410°F oven 6–8 minutes.
Contains wheat/gluten. Naturally dairy-free and 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.
- Flaky finishing salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — For the crunchy finish.
Fresh — buy local
- Potatoes (opens Amazon) ↗ — Any waxy potato; buy fresh.
- Onions (opens Amazon) ↗ — A kitchen staple; buy fresh.
- Smoked paprika (pimentón, sweet or bittersweet) (opens Amazon) ↗ — A common item; buy fresh or from your pantry.
- Fresh herbs (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fresh is best; a windowsill pot works well.
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
- Do I need to parboil the potatoes?
- Not if they are sliced paper-thin (~2 mm) and oiled — they cook through in the bake. If you slice thicker, parboil 3–4 minutes first.
- Sweet or hot smoked paprika?
- Sweet (dulce) is the everyday choice; use bittersweet (agridulce) or a little hot (picante) if you want more edge.
Keep baking
In these collections
Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/smoked-paprika-potato-onion-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.