Soft & Crispy Focaccia | Claire Saffitz | Dessert Person
Watch Claire Saffitz make soft & crispy focaccia, a recipe from her cookbook, Dessert Person. Not only is the recipe forgiving, making it a great introduction to breadmaking for novice bakers, it's incredibly versatile and serves as the perfect accompaniment to any meal (hello, soup weather!). You might be surprised to see just how easy it is to make a tall, fluffy, light focaccia.
#ClaireSaffitz #DessertPerson #Focaccia
Special Equipment:
Instant-read thermometer
Stand mixer
Scale
Standard half-sheet pan (18x13 inches)
Ingredients:
1 (1/4 oz / 7g) envelope active dry yeast
6 cups bread flour (24oz / 780g)
2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (0.6oz / 17g)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (5oz / 110g), plus 1/4 cup for topping plain focaccia and more for oiling hands
Optional toppings
Flaky salt, for sprinkling the top
Video Breakdown:
0:00 Start
0:15 Intro to Focaccia
0:43 Show Intro / Animation
1:00 Dessert Person
2:00 Ingredients/Special Equipment
3:20 Mix The Dough
4:57 First Rise
6:09 Fold & Proof
8:13 Prepare Toppings
10:10 Dimpling & Baking
13:59 Taste Test / Outro
Find Dessert Person Online: www.dessertperson.com
Claire Saffitz on Instagram: csaffitz
Dessert Person Merchandise: www.dessertperson.com/buystuff
For Other Penguin Random House Books: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/
Dessert Person Cookbook
Photographer: Alex Lau
Food Stylist: Sue Li
Prop Stylist: Astrid Chastka
Video Series:
Producer/Director: Vincent Cross
Camera Operator: Calvin Robertson
Sound Engineer/Music: Michael Guggino
Editor: Brooke Shuman
Animation Credits:
Character Designer/Animator: Jack Sherry
Character Rigger: Johara Dutton
Background/Prop Designer: M. Cody Wiley
Background Illustrator: Jagriti Khirwar
Hey folks, thanks for watching!! Feel free to let me know which recipes from Dessert Person you'd like me to make in future videos!
PLS BANANA BREAD
Would love to see you make the Blackberry Caramel Tart. I just made it and it was freaking phenomenal!
Scones and biscuits
Goat cheese fig cheesecake!
Can you make the brioche twists with coriander sugar? I love brioche but it’s so finicky! Also can we get more guest appearances from Felix? :)
bel video😋👍...grazie per i consigli..bel canale 🔔, se ti va passa dal mio canale 🥰
Felix needs a cameo every episode
My mixture is too wet :/ do I add more flour
Folks who made this recipe, how much water did you add? Mike looks like a batter currently.
hey! I used a half cup for proofing the yeast and then another 2.5 cups when making the dough itself! It turned out really well that way
I tried making this today and my dough seem too wet even though i mix on medium speed for 20min, i guess i might measure flour wrongly or mayb i trying to reduce the ingredient to fit into my smaller pan. I added some flour to make the dough more solid jus before the rise i hope it will still bake into smth edible 😅
Does anybody have a clue how much water she used?
I baked this for breakfast and after 1 hour it was all consumed
Do I really have to have a stand mixer? Ahhh I’m heartbroken this is the first recipe I wanted to make from the book
Finally tried this recipe and here were the few snags I ran into: - I measured the water using measuring cups, but weighed the flour out with a scale, and the dough was just *way* too soup, even after 10 extra minutes of mixing. I eventually had to throw in some extra bread flour to get it to the "loose but very runny" stage. Not sure where I messed up there, but I would either using all weight or all measuring cups next time. - After baking, the entire focaccia basically fused to the bottom of my sheet tray. I may have let it prove a little too much when I took it out of the fridge, but I had to spend 10 minutes excavating the bread from the bottom of my pan with a fish spatula. Eventually got it out in quarters, and it's very tasty (a little overcooked on the bottom) but I would *DEFINITELY* do this with some parchment paper underneath it next time to prevent sticking.
So I’m making my first focaccia right now. I almost gave up after mixing the dough it was so sticky! But I powered through and it’s in the oven now. Love your video! It was super helpful!
I’d love to see a sourdough version of this
I made this for dinner and it's so good! I'll definitely be making it again. My toddler was in bread heaven. She laid on the couch, wiggling her toes, munching on focaccia and humming with happiness.
crazy cat lady! I love her! Meow!
I love your videos and transparency of the cooking and baking process. Congratulations on your cookbook! I would love to see a video about the process of writing your cookbook, how long it took you, what you learned and more. Thank you! ❤️
Every time I trust bare aluminum and oil I regret it, don’t be me...scraping impregnated crust off the 4 full sheet pans because you have 4 more to bake is not something I ever want to repeat. Parchment paper is your friend.
I made it!!! I thought I killed it at some point but this dough is resilient. Thank you Claire, you're the best!!!
I just made this recipe yesterday! It was a great way to spend my Sunday. This bread turned out quite sexy and cannot wait to make it again. You say that this lasts for 5 days, but for me and my two roommates, I definitely don't think it will last that long... lol! It's so tasty!
What brand is your spatula? :) Thank you!
Has anyone tried this recipe without a convection oven and had success in making the top crispy? If so, please send tips! I tried to make this recipe and was able to get a super crispy bottom and a good crumb on the bread, I am just missing that crunch on the top.
Just made this, SO delicious. I used dry rosemary and worked great. Ps: the water is missing in the written recipe in the description, it's 1/2 cup for the yeast and another 2 1/2 cups for the mixture
Made the tomato, garlic, thyme variation yesterday (with some added mozzarella) and wow. This focaccia is amazing. I can't wait to make it again with no toppings just to enjoy how delicious the bread is! Love watching all of your bake along videos, Claire! If you happen to see this - reheat in an air fryer if you have one! Did that today and it was even better and crispier than when it first came out of the oven. 😋
Can we do this by hand or is stand mixer necessary for the desired result?
I’m making it by hand right now. We will see how it goes. My arms are going to hate me
I'm not the best with bread but I made it! I will not lie I definitely struggled haha... Worth it in the end though! (also I got your book! coming in the mail soon) :-)
Salivating through this whole video. Definitely want to try iy. In Bibi's Kitchen sounds like a really cool book too! Thanks for the recommendation
*The Éclair was ON TOP of the magazine, it was PERFECTLY GOOD TO EAT*
I just tried the recipe, and it's delicious. Guys, y'all have to try it !!
I made this today and I had a little problem. In your description it was not written how much water do you use (you said half of a cup for yeast and 2 and a half of a cups after the yeast was done proofing). Well I do not use cups, I use milliliter - and there was a problem. I googled how much ML is in a half of a cup and I found 3 different results. At the end I had too much water in my dough so I added more flower while mixing the dough. I looked at the video and I tried to get the same looking dough. And I made it. At the end it was PERFECT and I ate it for lunch (and dinner) and there is more left for tomorrow. It was crispy and soft. But it would be a lot easier if I knew how much water do I need for this focaccia. Next are your oat-cookies. Can not wait to try them. Thank you for your recipes. Sending love from Austria.
Hey Claire, love that we are now in your kitchen. For health reasons I’m in a Keto diet and my body is doing great for it. Do you have a Keto low-carb dessert, which we can make in our kitchen?
LETS GO
do not put 2 tablespoons of salt! i had to start over it was way too salty
Can someone tell me why she didn't like her first batch? I thought over poofing was a good thing. Isn't focaccia supposed to be airy instead of it being a dense cake?
Can't wait to try this recipe!
could you use a sourdough starter instead of commerical yeast and if so, how much?
Finally after seeing this focaccia in the background of every other video.
Around the 10:45 mark you said to let it sit overnight. Do you mean let it sit out on the counter or in the fridge overnight?
Watching Claire do that special folding technique sent me back to the donuts trilogy and brad’s epic folding hijinks.
I was wondering why you weren't on nay test kitchen videos. Congrats on the move! just googled and saw the reason
I am Egyptian and I love you so much.. You are great chef.. Please I want to make scones and biscuits and tell the difference between them 😘😘 I am watching your videos before on appetite
THE ANNIMATION IS SO CUTE
Looks 10bajillion times better than the Gordo recipe :O
so I just made this recipe,, like it’s currently cooling out of the oven,, and it is great. I’ve never made bread before and I feel insanely accomplished. life is good!!
First time focaccia maker here! So Claire suggests to knead the dough for an extra 10-15 min in the standard mixer after the initial 5 min, but the recipe Claire has on BA omitted this step. I went with 5 min before I saw did I mess up my focaccia??
I'm already on my second batch in a week!!! So easy and so good. A couple notes, though: - If you're not using specifically Diamond Crystal kosher salt, half the measurement. Diamond Crystal is way less salty than other kosher salt and my first batch was oversalted (not inedible, but definitely a shade or two past the ideal). - The garlic burned both times :( the first time I sliced it, the second time I crushed it, and both times by the time the top crust was nice and crispy, the garlic had turned very dark brown/black. Next time, I might make separate rosemary/pepper flake oil and garlic oil, and add the garlic oil halfway through the bake time, and see if that works!
Focaccia will now always be Garbage Bread for me 😂
I feel luck to have just discovered you after recently seeing your videos on the other channel, searched for your name on youtube after a few videos. So glad to see you still making content! Insta subscriber! You are the best thing about your videos 100%. Also I think its important to consider that its when you are struggling that a piece of your personality shows that I really connected with. Every at home cook know we fail all the time because we are trying to adapt for one reason or another and thats when we really learn. The art process you go though really shined through in your previous content because you were applying your knowledge in an attempt to reconstruct factory produced product. There is something inherently interesting and unique to that concept because its typically the opposite of what "artisan", Sorry I hate that word, chiefs are going for. The contrast of trying to make a factory produced product in small batch is interesting because you have something very specific you are able to compare directly and its also something most of us want to avoid. I enjoy your content regardless, but maybe someday you might do a special episode where you try to recreate boxed food again. Cheers, and thank you from a Fan.
came here from novympia's parody of you. I MISS U AND I LOVE U. here's a link: kgcode.info/stream/mH2cssZugbOXl2o/video.html
I’m truly curious if you have kept in touch with the rest of the cooks from bon appétit? Especially Brad.
CLAIRE better do a reaction video to the guy impersonating her.
My focaccia didn't raise at all, I added yeast two times, and still no raising. Maybe the 2 tbsp of salt in the focaccia have anything to do with it?
1:44 Lol I’ve totally done that lolllll
If I wanted to take a crack at focaccia, but do not have a half sheet tray, would it be wiser to: halve the recipe + use a quarter sheet tray, or use a taller sided 9x13 pan??
Claire! I bought your cookbook a few weeks ago. I made this recipe tonight and it is amazing! My dough was super sticky and I was doubting the process but it didn’t disappoint. Delicious, crispy, soft in the middle and super savory. True hit with the family.
I followed the steps exactly and my dough looked exactly like hers, but when I was doing the dimpling part, it stayed flat. Anyway, after it was baked, it was crispy, great tasting, looked the same, just less bumpy shape on the top. My only issue is the dimpling part and my bread looked flatter than hers. Perhaps I will do the lifting the dough part more diligently next time.
How much water do you add for the dough?
This looks so delicious, I am wanting to make it but wanting to actually have the recipe to print out. Do you actually have a recipe of this to print out? Thank you much!
Dessert person: Don't judge a book by it's cover Dessert person: *makes focaccia*
what's that supposed to mean??
there's no water listed in the ingredients
Tc...lol...
I’ve made three batches at this point and I’m still not quite satisfied. Batch one accidentally used AP flour, and I had to mix 30 min before I got enough structure to hold onto the hook. Today I used bread flour for batch two and three and still was close to 20 min mixing before I got enough structure. Wondering if I’m using too much water? I’m measuring the flour by weightZ
So much oil
Omg I can’t believe I just found your account ily
Someone made a parody of you!
This bread is absolutely delicious!!
i can see brad hooked her up with some been jacobson salt
Isn’t that to oily?
I have never been jealous of an exterminator until Claire mentioned that he left with a ton of cookies she made 😩💔
Thank you for making a book. ❤️
Just watched the parody by Novympia 🤩 🤣🤣🤣 She nailed it xxxx #Novympia
Can this be made without a stand mixer?
You are truly my inspiration. I am missing your gourmet kitchen and bon appetite family . Thank you for making these videos and seeing you is super fun
BA got rid of that annoying overachiever chick from India, what was her name again, Prishna? Priya? God I hate her. And we still can watch Claire, what a win-win!
@Anna Girling Whoopsie. Do I look like I care? I love the final result - BA without prishna krishna. Also, from my point of view, she wanted to be paid equally to those, who were working there for much longer than her. She didn't deserve to earn as much as the rest, because she just started. She popped out of nowhere and she started to make demands, wanted to be paid as high as other experienced BA content creators, and when she didn't get what she demanded, she blame ethnics, racism, and all that lefty speech stuff. Ridiculous.
This is rude. They didn’t get rid of her. She left because BA wasn’t paying their POC properly or compensating them for their work at all in some cases. This happened with a larger amount of their creators over the summer.
I may make that this weekend, also great book recommendations, I'll be looking for both your's and Bibi's next time I'm indulging in new cookbooks.
thank god the ingredeints is in metric too and not only imperial
She had to use the scissors cause she still can't find her pizza cutter.
Looks delicious! Can you make this if you don't have a stand mixer? would it work?
When I heard the crisp when Claire takes a first bite of the focaccia, I was so jealous!!!!
Yes! Now we finally get to see Claire, and not some production companies contrived antics. While those were fun to watch, it didn't do Claire justice.
I’ve never been the type of person to buy cook books because recipes can vary a lot so I like to just look up recipes online so I can read reviews and see what alterations people may have done, but I’m 100% buying this book. I feel like her recipes would be on point
Could I use a hand mixer for this? Or mix it by hand? I don't have s stand mixer.
YAY!! Missed Claire. Thanks recommended.
Loved the animated intro. I wish I could make/have the same for my channel someday. 😃
Can I use a quarter sheet pan?
Anyone finding discrepancies between the ounces and gram measurements?
When baking on the bottom rack it burned the bottom! Consider using the second lowest rack. :(
This is everything I asked for 😭🥺❤️❤️
I would die for Claire, author of desert person.
I just tried to order Dessert Person, temporarily out of stock. Good for Claire!! Bad for me 😢
I don't have a stand mixer!! Can I still make this? Any tips?
Listen I see this video has a lot of comments people enjoying the content. I too really enjoyed the content. But, My Fuck, 2 times following this recipe step by step on youtube has been infuriating. First time I skipped several steps because I would have things happening, have to wash and dry my hands to scrobble along on my phone, and accidentally skip a section. Things like Add Salt take 1-3 seconds of this video, yet theres lots of chatter breaking up each step so when I'm actually cooking it just gets so difficult to know where the hell I am in this recipe. Bread is in the oven now, and I really appreciate the content, just... Its been painful man
I just started making this and had to go back and add salt before the second mixing...I’m praying it’s still edible.
she says add a quarter cup of oil the first time but it says a half cup in the description? I think I used a half cup last time but im wondering which is correct. Does anyone know?
mommy claire is going to make me do things I'm going to regret
The way she says Focaccia is driving me crazy. Come on
everything about Claire’s content makes me feel so safe
holy crap I’ve been waiting so long to see your own channel and today I just found it!!
It’s so awesome to see you again! The focaccia looks amazing.
the cat is always such a good break from all the food talk, i love him
I’m so glad I found your channel! I’ve loved your content in the past and can’t wait to see your new stuff!
how much water?
Hm... those measurements are off. I tried making it and it just did not work, girlie.
Has anyone tried this without a stand mixer? (aka kneading by hand) I feel like it would probably take a while but still manageable?
It is a VERY wet dough so you'd need to use high hydration hand kneading techniques like Roubaud method (scoop and slap in the bowl) and slap-and-fold. I tried after my stand mixer seemed to do nothing, got tired and covered in sticky gloopy dough, and went back to my stand mixer at an aggressive speed. I hope you have stronger arms than me if you try this 😂