Garden Art Focaccia Bread — a Trend That’s Here to Stay

In recent times, a few food trends emerged as many of us spent more time in the kitchen. One of the most fun and easy has been garden art focaccia bread (or simply garden focaccia or focaccia bread art). 

Some kitchen projects may fall by the wayside (re-growing scallions?), others may endure, like homemade sourdough. I predict that vegetable-decorated focaccia bread is here to stay.

Focaccia is a traditional Italian flatbread, quite similar to pizza dough. Usually, the surface is kept pretty simple — shallow dimples are poked into it with (clean) fingers, then drizzled with olive oil, coarse salt, and dried herbs.

We can keep those — especially the olive oil — but now, the bread’s eye appeal goes to the next level.

A delicious blank canvas: The trend that emerged over the last few years to make garden art focaccia bread — a blank canvas for arranging vegetables over the surface to create plant- and flower-like pictures — is one that may be here to stay!

A fun food project for kids: Because using more vegetables in any way possible is always a good idea. This is a fun idea as a food project with kids, who are always more likely to eat food that they’ve made. Garden focaccia before going into the oven, above.

Vegetables & herbs to use for garden art focaccia

Here are some vegetables to use; I’d say to use at least three and up to six for each “garden” creation; you can vary the vegetables each time you make this.

• Asparagus spears (use fairly thin ones, not overly long)
• Bell peppers (cut into thin rings or slices) or mini sweet peppers
• Cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced
• Chives (with blossoms intact is especially pretty)
• Flowers (yes, actual edible flowers)
• Fresh herbs (sprigs of dill, parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme)
• Leek rings (make sure they’re well rinsed)
• Mushrooms (cleaned, stemmed, and thinly sliced), most varieties
• Poblano chilies, seeded and thinly sliced)
• Radishes (thinly sliced)
• Olives (pitted) — black and green
• Scallion (aka green onion)
• Spiralized vegetables (carrots, yellow squash, zucchini)
• Red onion (small rings or short slices)
• Zucchini (cut into thin rounds)
• Yellow summer squash (the narrow part, cut into rounds)

What to serve with focaccia bread: Focaccia bread is a natural pairing with soups like Hearty Pasta Vegetable Soup, Italian Pasta and Bean Soup, or lentil soup; it’s good with most any tomato-based soup.

Make the soup during the bread’s first rising. Let it stand off the heat until the bread is done, during which time it can develop more flavor, then heat through just before serving.

This Healthy Table has some great ideas, including this fun Christmas tree design. More focaccia garden art inspiration:

• Focaccia bread art on Pinterest
• #focacciagarden on Instagram
• Lots more focaccia garden art lore and ideas

More ideas and inspiration for Garden Art Focaccia Bread

The recipe following makes 1 rectangular bread, about 8 to 10 pieces. It’s a basic recipe; if you’d like to put your sourdough skills to use, try this recipe for Sourdough Focaccia. 

If you like this focaccia, you might also enjoy Buckwheat Focaccia Bread

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Yield: 8 to 10

Garden Art Focaccia Bread — a Trend That’s Here to Stay

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Here's a recipe for garden art focaccia bread, which takes the traditional Italian bread to the next level

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon natural granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour (white whole wheat works quite well)
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Colorful vegetables of your choice for arranging (see Notes)

Optional for sprinkling

• 1 to 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
• Coarse salt
• Dried oregano or rosemary

Instructions

1. Pour the yeast into the warm water and let stand to dissolve for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and two tablespoons of the oil. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours and salt. Work the yeast mixture in using your hands, then turn out onto a well-floured board. Knead for 5 minutes, adding additional flour until the dough loses its stickiness. 
3. Place the ball of dough in a floured bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for about an hour in a warm place (I like to turn the oven on at 350º F, then turn it off within a minute).
4. Punch the dough down, then turn it out onto a well-floured board. Roll out into a rectangle-ish shape about 12 to 13 inches on the longer side. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let rise again for 30 to 40 minutes. 
5. Preheat the oven to 400º F.
6. When the dough has finished rising, poke very shallow holes into its surface with your fingers, at even intervals. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top and brush it on evenly with a pastry brush (or just use clean fingers).
7. Arrange your “garden” using followed by the garlic, coarse salt, and herbs.     
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is golden on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve warm, cut into pieces.

Notes

Here are some vegetables to use; I’d say to use at least three and up to six for each “garden” creation; you can vary the vegetables each time you make this.

• Asparagus spears (use fairly thin ones, not overly long)
• Bell peppers (cut into thin rings or slices) or mini sweet peppers
• Cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced
• Chives (with blossoms intact is especially pretty)
• Fresh herbs (sprigs of dill, parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme)
• Mushrooms (cleaned, stemmed, and thinly sliced)
• Poblano chilies, seeded and thinly sliced)
• Radishes (thinly sliced)
• Olives (pitted)
• Scallion (any way you'd like to cut it)
• Spiralized vegetables (carrots, yellow squash, zucchini)
• Red onion (small rings or short slices)
• Zucchini (cut into thin rounds)
• Yellow summer squash (the narrow part, cut into rounds)

Here are more breads & savory baked goods.