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Best 100% Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread | No Stand Mixer Italian Bread

Richa GuptaThu Jun 01 2023
BakingBreadsFrench/ItalianVeganBreakfastSnack
Best 100% Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread | No Stand Mixer Italian Bread

This Italian Focaccia bread is a show-stopper. It looks so gorgeous that it will make you drool and tempt you to take a bite. It is soft and fluffy from the inside but has a slightly crusty exterior. Focaccia Bread tastes so amazing that it should be the KING of all breads. Literally! Making it is so much fun and you can even involve your kids to decorate with different toppings.

Traditionally it is made with all-purpose flour but I decided to make it healthier by using 100% whole wheat flour. It would require some tips and tricks to get that similar softness and airiness which you get with regular focaccia bread. After many attempts, I finally got brilliant results. This whole wheat focaccia bread is not at all dense and dry. It is fluffy, airy and remains moist for 2 to 3 days.

Warning! You may get addicted to it 😀

Story Time

Jatin and I both love bread a lot. We are crazy fans of bread. And when we bought a microwave, the main purpose of it was to start baking bread at home. And while I was searching for an easy bread, I landed on this Focaccia bread which we never heard of. It looked beautiful and seemed pretty simple to make. That is why I decided to make it first. My first try was not the best one but it still tasted really good. The flavors of different veggies and garlic and the aroma of herbs made it feel like you are having a pizza 🙂

I started with Gordon Ramsay’s Focaccia Bread. After making it perfect, I made the one with 50% whole wheat flour. And my next goal was to make 100% whole wheat focaccia bread. Was it easy? Hmmm…Not at all! Whole wheat flour is tricky. It makes the bread dense and dry. I had to make it several times, learn the science, and understand the characteristics of the flour. After having many hard, dense, and not-so-good whole wheat focaccia bread, finally I mastered the recipe. I created the ultimate Whole Wheat Focaccia bread that is moist, soft, and airy from the inside and has a crusty exterior. It would require more time and a lot more elbow grease to knead the dough. But you will enjoy the process.

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What is Focaccia Bread?

Focaccia Bread is a flat, oven-baked, soft, and crusty bread that is very popular in Italy. It is similar in taste and texture to Pizza and in some places, it is even called Pizza Bianca. It is topped with different veggies, garlic, olives, and herbs and tastes flavorful and so good on its own. You do not need anything (butter or jam) with it except for a cup of coffee. You can even make sandwiches from it. They taste extra flavorful. 

One important feature of this bread is that it is loaded with a lot of good-quality olive oil. That makes all the difference. 

Tips to bake it right

  1. Room Temperature: Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature. It is very important in baking.
  2. Measure Accurately: Correctly measuring the ingredients is very important. Adding extra flour is one common mistake. Just fill your measuring cup with the flour and then level it off with a knife.
  3. Sifting: Sift the flour. This ensures that there are no lumps in the dough.
  4. Overmixing: This is something that happens accidentally. Over-mixing the dough makes the bread hard. If you are kneading by hand, knead until it becomes soft and smooth. If you are using a stand mixer, knead till it starts to leave the sides (not completely though). Touch the dough with your finger. If it doesn’t stick, that’s your clue to stop kneading.
  5. Temperature: Make sure the water is lukewarm – neither hot nor cold. If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it is cold, it won’t activate the yeast. You should be able to put your finger in the water. That’s another clue!

What type of whole wheat flour is good for the recipe?

This focaccia bread is made with 100% whole wheat flour. And let me point out that every flour is different. Even if you buy a similar kind of whole wheat flour (aata) from the store, it would give you different results. Some whole wheat flours are more fine and smooth while others may have bran to them. Some may have bran that is not very visible but may affect the texture of the bread.

That is why, it is important to understand the technique and after trying it a couple of times, you will understand how you can make your bread better with the whole wheat flour available in your kitchen. Having said that, I use the Indian whole wheat flour which is used to make Roti or chappati. The brands that I prefer are Aashirvaad and Pilsbury. They do not have bran in them and that is why helps in better gluten formation.

Whole wheat focaccia bread

How to store homemade Focaccia Bread?

You can store this bread in an air-tight container and leave them on the countertop for at least 2 to 3 days (depending on the temperature at your place). Although, since it is homemade with no chemicals or preservatives, it might be stale after 2 days. Rehea while serving. It tastes absolutely good.

You can easily refrigerate it for a week. Put it in an airtight container otherwise, it might become dry. Reheat it in the microwave and it will be soft and perfect for the evening snack with some tea or coffee.

You can even put it in the freezer for up to a month. I haven’t tried this method because ours don’t last that long and we like to bake fresh. But you can pack it well, either with the cling wrap or in an air-tight container, and freeze them. Before serving, just reheat or toast.

Having said that, they won’t last for more than a day. Trust me on this 😀

Focaccia Bread

How to Re-heat Focaccia Bread?

My preferred way is to heat them in the microwave for a few seconds. It becomes soft and feels fresh. I love it. But if you like slightly toasted and crispy bread, reheat them in the oven. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius and bake them for around 5 to 7 minutes. They might over-bake and become dry & hard too. So, keep an eye on them.

You can simply toast them also on a pan or a toaster. This is the easiest way of all.

Is this recipe Vegan?

Yes. It is a 100% vegan and plant-based recipe. All the ingredients used in this recipe are vegan and plant-based.

If you want more vegan recipes, here are a few options: Banana Walnut Muffins, Mini Mango Cheesecake, Vegan Fudgy Brownie.

More Recipes – just as good!

  1. 50% Whole Wheat Focaccia
  2. Extremely Soft and Fluffy Ladi Pav (No Milk Powder)
  3. Eggless & Baked Donuts

Now you are all ready to make this vegan, soft, and crusty focaccia bread at home, with full confidence. It is perfect for evening snacks, mid-night cravings or even to serve your guests at your next house party. Just cut it into cubes and it makes a perfect party snack. So, grab all the ingredients, and let’s get baking.

Whole wheat focaccia bread

If you like the recipe, please share the photo on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We love to see your recreation of our recipes.

Happy Baking 🙂

Love from us

Richa

Best 100% Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread | No Stand Mixer Italian Bread

Soft. Crusty. Gorgeous.

Tell us what you think

100% whole wheat focaccia bread which is light, airy, moist, and fluffy. It is a foolproof recipe that will not make a healthier bread dense and heavy. It is not dry in fact remains moist for 2-3 days. Do not wait to click. 

Click & Let's get Baking!

4

Servings

30 min

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

55 min

Total Time

Courses

Breakfast Snack

Cuisines

Baking Breads

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

Toppings (any)

Steps

Activate Yeast
  1. In a cup, add yeast and sugar. 
  2. Add some lukewarm water (around 1/3 Cup) to the mixture. Mix and let it rest for a few minutes. 
  3. After a few minutes (around 3 to 4 min), the yeast will start to froth and become bubbly. It will rise. So, make sure that the cup size is big enough otherwise the mixture will fall out.
    4. If it doesn't happen, that means the yeast is expired or the water is too hot or cold. Discard and restart.
Mix the Dough
  1. In a large bowl, add whole wheat flour and salt. Mix using a spatula. 
  2. Then add the activated yeast and the remaining lukewarm water. Mix using a spatula only until it combines well and you do not see any dry flour in the bowl. 
  3. Cover the bowl with a plate or cling wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. This helps the flour absorb the liquid. 
  4. After 20 minutes starts the dirty work. Take out your dough on the slab or any flat surface suitable for kneading. At this stage, it will be flowy, and sticky with no elasticity or gluten.
    5. Use a scraper. It helps it taking out the dough cleanly.
Slap & Fold
  1. Lift the dough with your hands and slap it on the surface. Lift and fold again and slap. Repeat until it starts to come together and become elastic. It would take around 15 to 20 minutes of continuous slapping and folding.
  2. After 15 to 20 minutes, the dough will come together. When you slap it, it won't stick much to the surface. This is when it develops gluten which helps in making the bread light and airy.
Window Pane Test
  1. Take a part of the dough and stretch it into a window shape. 
  2. The dough will stretch without breaking and you will be able to see the light through it. 
    3. Put your flash light behind and you will be able to see the light through that thin film.
Proofing
  1. Place the dough in a well-greased large bowl and cover using a plate or cling wrap. 
    2. Use around 1 Tbsp olive oil to grease the bowl.
  2. Let it rest in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes or until it is almost doubled. 
    3. The timing may differ depending on the temperature in your region.
  3. Once it is doubled, it will be flowy and jiggle when you shake the bowl. 
Bake
  1. Preheat the Oven to 200°C. 
    2. You can bake even in the microwave.
  2. While the oven is heating, prepare the baking tray. Sprinkle salt on a sheet pan or baking tray (not a bread baking tray but a flat baking pan) and brush some olive oil all over. 
  3. Place your dough gently on the tray making sure the air doesn't escape from the dough. Shape it a little. 
  4. Apply some oil on your fingers and poke the dough to make dimples (small dents) all over.
  5. Add toppings of your choice - garlic, onion, tomato, carrots, herbs, black pepper, etc. and then bake for 25 minutes or until brown. 
  6. Once baked, take it out from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. 
  7. Once cooled, slice and enjoy :)

FAQs

What is Focaccia Bread?
+

Focaccia Bread is a flat, oven-baked, soft, and crusty bread that is very popular in Italy. It is similar in taste and texture to Pizza and in some places, it is even called Pizza Bianca. It is topped with different veggies, garlic, olives, and herbs and tastes flavorful and so good on its own. You do not need anything (butter or jam) with it except for a cup of coffee. You can even make sandwiches from it. They taste extra flavorful.

One important feature of this bread is that it is loaded with a lot of good-quality olive oil. That makes all the difference.

Why my whole wheat bread is so dry and hard?
+

Whole wheat bread is generally dry and hard compared to what is made with bread flour or refined flour. Whole wheat flour absorbs more water and when you follow the recipe which used refined flour or bread flour and use the same amount of liquid, the whole wheat flour bread would be dry and hard. Another reason for the bread to become dry is adding more flour while kneading to avoid stickiness. One most common reasons for the bread to become hard is over-kneading. Knead only until the dough becomes soft and smooth.

Why did my bread dough did not proof and double in size?
+

The reason for the bread dough not proof well and becoming double in size are as follows:

  1. Expired or bad quality Yeast.
  2. Hot liquid – It kills the yeast and it doesn’t help in the rising of the dough.
  3. Cold Liquid – Cold liquid doesn’t activate the yeast.
  4. Temperature – If the temperature of the place where you kept the dough for proofing is not enough (or cold), it may not rise. You can put it in a switched-off microwave or oven. If it is too hot in your region, the yeast acts quickly and releases all the air. The dough starts to behave weird in that case.

Bread is very sensitive to bake. They start behaving differently because of so many different factors that you can not even figure that out. But do not worry. You can learn the art to bake perfect bread at home. Just start slow and follow the recipe well.

What kind of whole wheat flour is good for the focaccia bread?
+

Flour plays a very important role in baking a loaf of bread. Different flours result in different kinds of textures of the bread. Even when you follow the exact recipe and use the same flour, your bread may perform differently depending on the temperature in your region. The whole wheat flour which I use is the one with no bran because bran makes the bread hard and dry. Every whole wheat flour is different and is milled differently. So, your result may differ from mine. But do not worry. Follow the exact recipe and then start making changes as needed.

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