Canal Side Cheesy Salami & Red Pepper Focaccia
Easy, fluffy homemade focaccia topped with mozzarella, salami and red peppers, then brushed while hot with buttery Canal Side No. 1 and a splash of banana pepper brine.
Homemade Focaccia Without the Fuss
This is the kind of bread recipe I love: mix it in a bowl, let the yeast do the work and skip the kneading altogether. The result is golden and crisp around the edges, soft and airy through the middle, and sturdy enough for plenty of melty cheese and toppings.
Ingredients
Easy Focaccia Dough
- 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1¾ cups warm water
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan and top
Toppings
- 1 to 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
- 4–6 ounces salami, torn or chopped
- ½–¾ cup chopped red peppers
- Banana pepper rings, optional
- Syracuse Salt Co. Flake Salt, optional for finishing
Canal Side Butter
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1½–2 teaspoons Salt Spring Spice Canal Side No. 1
- 1 tablespoon banana pepper juice or brine
Directions
- Mix the dough. Stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm water and olive oil and stir until a sticky, shaggy dough forms. It should be wetter than regular bread dough.
- Give it one quick fold. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Wet your hands and pull each side of the dough up and toward the center once. No traditional kneading needed.
- Let it rise. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled and noticeably puffy, about 60–90 minutes in a warm kitchen. A cooler room may take closer to 2 hours.
- Oil the pan. Generously coat a metal 9×13-inch pan with olive oil. Scrape the dough into the pan and gently stretch it toward the corners. If it springs back, wait 10 minutes and try again.
- Give it one more rise. Let the dough rest in the pan for 30–45 minutes, until puffy and bubbly.
- Dimple it. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Oil your fingertips and press deep dimples all over the dough. Drizzle the top lightly with olive oil.
- Add the toppings. Scatter the mozzarella, salami and red peppers over the top. Add banana pepper rings if you have them. Leave a little dough showing so the focaccia can still brown and crisp.
- Add a little Salt City crunch. If you'd like, sprinkle a small pinch of Syracuse Salt Co. Flake Salt over the top. Keep it light—the salami, mozzarella and Canal Side already bring plenty of flavor.
- Bake. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the focaccia is deeply golden, the mozzarella is bubbling and browned and the edges are crisp.
- Make the Canal Side butter. Stir together melted butter, Canal Side No. 1 and banana pepper brine.
- Finish it hot. Brush the Canal Side butter generously over the focaccia as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let it settle into all those hot dimples.
- Rest and slice. Let the focaccia sit for about 10 minutes before cutting.
Save That Banana Pepper Juice
I normally put banana peppers right on top of this. This time all I had left was the juice in the jar, so I added it to the Canal Side butter instead. That little bit of tang was perfect with the buttery herbs, mozzarella and salami. Next time I'm using both.
Overnight Option
The same-day version is delicious, but if you want a little more developed bread flavor, make the dough the night before. Use 1 teaspoon instant yeast instead of 2 teaspoons. Mix and fold the dough as directed, cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours. The next day, transfer it to your well-oiled pan and let it sit at room temperature until very puffy, about 1½–2 hours. Then dimple, top and bake exactly as written.
Four Focaccia Tips
Don't add extra flour just to make the dough easier to handle. Wet or oil your hands instead. A wetter dough helps create that fluffy, airy middle.
Generously oil a metal baking pan. That layer of oil helps create the crisp, golden bottom that makes focaccia so good.
You should still be able to see some bread between the toppings. Too much cheese or too many wet toppings can weigh down the dough.
Add the Canal Side butter right after baking. The hot bread absorbs the seasoned butter and keeps the garlic-and-herb flavor front and center.
Switch Up the Toppings
Try pepperoni, banana peppers, cooked Italian sausage, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, olives, cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, parmesan, provolone or a drizzle of hot honey after baking. If you're using watery ingredients like tomatoes, fresh mozzarella or roasted peppers, blot them dry first so your focaccia stays crisp.
Made With Canal Side
Canal Side No. 1 is our garlic & herb house blend, built with savory herbs, Syracuse salt and roasted garlic sourced from our friends at Syracuse Salt Co. It's the blend we reach for when bread, pasta, potatoes, vegetables and everyday comfort food need a little more garlic-and-herb goodness.
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