This caramelized shallot and rosemary focaccia bread is crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and loaded with flavor.  The caramelized shallots provide a sweet and mild flavor to the bread, while the rosemary and nutritional yeast bring an aromatic and cheesy touch to the bread.  You don’t need a bread maker or a stand mixer for this dough.  This is the best and easiest vegan focaccia bread you will make!

I love carbs.  Specifically bread.  I could eat bread all day and I typically have a slice at every meal.  It’s how I was raised.  There were always rolls, garlic bread, or some other kind of bread at the dinner table growing up.  Meat, steamed frozen vegetables, and copious amounts of bread.

My cooking abilities and preferences have changed (plant-based now), but my love for bread remains.  When the Recipe Redux crew said that this month’s theme was all about bread, I was way more excited than a normal baker should be.  I’ve already published a no-knead bread recipe that is a great bread recipe for beginners.  Just mix all the ingredients the night before, push it into a Dutch oven and make your bread.  For this caramelized shallot and rosemary focaccia recipe, I wanted to create a similarly easy bread that doesn’t need a bread maker or stand mixer.

This caramelized shallot and rosemary focaccia bread is crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  It’s savory, has the perfect amount of oil, and rises well in the oven.  Traditional focaccia recipes call for all-purpose white flour.  I swapped out some of the white flour for whole wheat flour to increase the fiber, lower the glycemic index, and provide more vitamin and nutritional value.  The nutritional yeast adds protein and is one of the only natural vegan sources of vitamin B12.

Vegan focaccia bread seems like an exotic, advanced bread recipe, but it is actually really simple.  In my opinion, this is a great recipe for those making bread for the first time.  Just a few small steps, a bit of patience and wait time, and you have a fancy bread to impress your friends and family.

A few pro tips for making shallot and rosemary focaccia bread:

• Make this focaccia bread with your hands.  Bread making is meant to be messy and therapeutic.  Plus, using your hands allows you to understand the process on a different level; you understand what the texture is like at different stages and how the bread feels.  Yes, it takes a little longer.  However, I think that you will master the art of bread making faster than if you use a bread maker or stand mixer with a dough hooks.

• Prepare your work station in advance.  Always have extra flour to grab while you’re kneading.  Oil your bowls or dishes before you start kneading.  Take the plastic wrap out of the cabinet before your hands are covered in flour.  There’s nothing worse than trying to wipe off dough globs from cabinet knobs or inside drawers.  Trust me.

• Weigh your ingredients.  Having a scale to weight out the flour leads to more accurate measuring and ultimately better focaccia bread than using a measuring cup.  I’ve included both weight and volume measurements because most bakers go by volume (I did until about 2 weeks ago when I finally got so tired of my recipes sometimes working and sometimes not that I bought a small kitchen scale.  GAME CHANGER)

• If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can still measure by volume.  Fluff up the flour first.  Then scoop it into your cup until it’s overflowing. Finally, level it off and add it to the bowl.  This gets you roughly 4 ounces for wheat flour and 4 1/4 ounces for all-purpose flour.  See this chart for other flour types.

This recipe is great on it’s own, or pairs really well with spaghetti squash pasta or lentil noodles for a vegan Italian food themed dinner.  I love eating it as a snack too.  If you don’t have shallots, sub onions or leave them off.  Change up the seasonings as well once you get used to the bread making process.

What do you think of this caramelized shallot and rosemary focaccia bread?  Have you ever made focaccia bread before?  Do you usually weigh out ingredients or measure them by volume?  If you make recipe let me know!  Rate it, leave a comment, take a picture and tag @Rabbitfoodruns on Instagram.  I’d love to see your vegan focaccia bread creations!  

Buen provecho,

Becca

Print Recipe

Shallot and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

This vegan focaccia bread is a fancy bread that is easy to make. The caramelized shallots provide a sweet and mild flavor, while the rosemary and nutritional yeast add fragrant, cheesy undertones. Whole wheat flour adds The crust is crisp, but the inside is light and fluffy. No bread maker or dough hook needed!

Prep Time

3 1/2 hours

Cook Time

35 minutes

Servings

slices

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1.75 oz warm water *about 3 1/2 Tbsp
• 10 oz whole wheat flour *about 2 1/3 cups
• 6 oz all-purpose flour *about 1 1/4 cups
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 11 oz cool water *about 1 1/4 cups
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp dried rosemary *or sub 1/4 cup chopped fresh
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt

Prep Time 3 1/2 hours Cook Time 35 minutes Servings slices Ingredients 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast 1.75 oz warm water *about 3 1/2 Tbsp 10 oz whole wheat flour *about 2 1/3 cups 6 oz all-purpose flour *about 1 1/4 cups 2 tsp sea salt 11 oz cool water *about 1 1/4 cups 4 tbsp olive oil 1 large shallot 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 2 tbsp dried rosemary *or sub 1/4 cup chopped fresh 2 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, measure the warm water. It should be between 105°-115°F. Sprinkle the yeast on top, stir to dissolve. Set aside for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.

   
2. In a large bowl, weigh out the flours. Add the salt to one side of the bowl. Weigh out the cool water. It should be room temperature, about 70°-75°F.
3. Add the activated yeast to the flour mixture on the opposite side of the salt. Stir with your hand 2-3 turns. Slowly add in the cool water, stirring with your hand until the ingredients are well incorporated. Stop when the dough has turned into a shaggy, sticky mass.

   
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let it for 30 minutes so the proteins and gluten strands start to form.
5. Oil a large bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle the table with flour and keep some extra flour nearby for kneading. After the dough has rested, scrape it out onto the surface.
6. Tap your hands with some flour and gently knead the dough for 3-4 turns: Push it down and away from you with the heel of your hand. Fold the top back towards you, press down, then push out again. Gently form into a rectangle with the sort side facing you. Fold the left edge in to just past center, then the right side in to just past center. Repeat with the top and bottom sides.

   
7. Place the folded dough in the oiled bowl, seam side up. Rub 1/2 tbsp olive oil on the dough, flip it over so the seam is down and oil with another 1/2 tbsp. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until it has doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

   
8. Once the dough has doubled in volume, oil a large 15x10 inch rimmed baking dish. Scrape the dough into the dish, allowing the dough to naturally relax into it's own shape. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil over the top of the dough and then push the dough into the corners of the dish. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes in the dish, until it has almost doubled again.

   
9. While the dough is resting, preheat oven to 425°F. Place an empty baking sheet or pan on the bottom rack. Slice the shallot and slightly sautee in a pan over medium heat until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Chop fresh rosemary if using.
10. Once the dough has doubled in volume, sprinkle on the nutritional yeast, rosemary, sea salt and caramelized shallot. Use your fingertips to dimple the dough and press the toppings in.

    
11. Slide the baking dish into the oven and immediately pour water into the empty baking sheet below and quickly shut the oven door. This will create steam and give the focaccia a perfectly crispy outer dough.
12. Bake the focaccia until golden brown, about 30 - 35 minutes. If you notice the shallots browning too much before the bread is done, tent with tin foil. The bread is done when the crust reaches a deep golden brown color and is very firm to the touch. Remove from the oven. Check doneness with either a thermometer (190 degrees inside) or by tapping the bottom (you'll hear a hollow thump).
13. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Cut into thick slices and serve

    

Recipe Notes

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