Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese with Tomatoes, Olives and Onions

Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese with Tomatoes, Olives and Onions is a rustic and flavorful Italian focaccia inspired by the traditional baking of Puglia, in Southern Italy. It has a soft, slightly chewy dough made with potatoes, semolina flour and bread flour, and a rich Mediterranean filling of sweet onions, juicy cherry tomatoes and black olives.

This recipe is perfect when you want something more generous than a classic focaccia, but still simple and homemade. The potato in the dough makes the focaccia wonderfully soft, while the semolina gives it a beautiful golden color and a slightly rustic texture. Once baked, the outside becomes fragrant and lightly crisp, while the inside stays moist and full of flavor.

The filling is simple but delicious. The onions are cooked slowly until soft and sweet, then combined with tomatoes, olives, extra virgin olive oil and oregano. As the focaccia bakes, the flavors blend together and create a savory, juicy filling that tastes like the best of Southern Italian cooking.

This stuffed focaccia is great served warm, but it is also delicious at room temperature. You can enjoy it as an appetizer, a snack, a light lunch, or as part of a buffet. It's also a wonderful recipe to prepare for picnics, family gatherings or casual dinners.

Although it's inspired by traditional Pugliese focaccia and rustic onion-filled recipes from the region, this version is especially rich and colorful, with tomatoes, olives and onions wrapped in a soft homemade potato dough.

Jump to:

• What is Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese?
• Ingredients
• How to Make Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese
• Storage
• Tips for Making the Best Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese
• Variations and Substitutions
• More Focaccia Recipes to Try
• Recipe Card

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What is Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese?

Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese is a rustic Italian focaccia inspired by the traditional baking of Puglia, a region in Southern Italy known for its flavorful breads, focaccia, olive oil and simple Mediterranean ingredients.

Unlike classic focaccia pugliese with cherry tomatoes, which is usually baked open-faced with tomatoes, olives and oregano on top, this version is filled and closed with a second layer of dough. The result is a soft and savory stuffed focaccia, perfect to serve warm or at room temperature.

The dough is made with bread flour, durum wheat semolina flour and mashed boiled potato. Bread flour gives the dough strength and elasticity, semolina adds a rustic texture and a beautiful golden color, while the potato keeps the focaccia soft and moist after baking.

In Puglia, there are also more traditional onion-filled recipes, such as Calzone di Cipolla Pugliese and Calzone di Sponsali, made with sponsali, a type of young onion. This recipe is not exactly the same as those traditional versions, but it is inspired by the same rustic flavors of Southern Italy.

Ingredients

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How to Make Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese

BEFORE YOU START: The night before, peel and thinly slice the onions. Place them in a large bowl filled with cold water, cover, and let them soak overnight. This step helps make the onions sweeter and milder. The next day, drain them very well before cooking.

Make the Dough

Step 1) - Place the manitoba flour (or bread flour) and the semolina flour in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the dry yeast, the sugar, the extra virgin olive oil and the mashed boiled potato.

Step 2) - Start mixing the ingredients, gradually bringing the flour toward the center.

Dissolve the salt in the lukewarm water. Add the water a little at a time while mixing. Do not pour it all in at once, because the amount of water can vary depending on the flour and the moisture of the potato.

Step 3) - Transfer the dough on your work surface and knead it vigorously for about 10 minutes, until it becomes soft, smooth, and elastic. If the dough feels too dry, add a little more water. If it's too sticky to handle, add a small amount of flour. The final dough should be soft and slightly moist, but workable with your hands.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Make the Filling

Step 4) - Drain the sliced onions very well. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook gently for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until they are soft and sweet.

Do not let the onions brown too much. They should become tender and almost creamy.

Add the pitted black olives, capers, cherry tomatoes, and chopped anchovies, if using. Season with a little salt, freshly ground black pepper and oregano. Be careful with the salt, because olives, capers, and anchovies are already quite savory.

Cook for another 10 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and the filling becomes flavorful and well combined. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool slightly before using it.

Assemble the Stuffed Focaccia

Step 5) - When the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into two pieces: one larger piece, about two-thirds of the dough, and one smaller piece, about one-third.

Roll out the larger piece into a disk large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 26 cm (about 10-inch) round baking pan.

Grease the baking pan generously with extra virgin olive oil. Place the larger disk of dough inside the pan, pressing it gently with your hands so that it covers the bottom and comes up the sides.

Step 6) - Add the onion, olive, and tomato filling, spreading it evenly over the dough.

Step 7) - Roll out the smaller piece into another disk and cover the filling with the second disk of dough.

Step 8) - Seal the edges well by folding the excess dough from the bottom layer over the top layer. Press with your fingers to close the focaccia completely.

Brush the top generously with extra virgin olive oil, spreading it over the entire surface with your hands or a pastry brush.

Step 9) - Prick the surface with a fork to allow the steam to escape during baking.

Bake in a preheated fan-assisted oven at 200°C (about 390°F) for about 30 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown on top. If using a conventional oven, bake at 220°C (about 425°F).

Remove from the oven and let the stuffed focaccia rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. It's delicious warm, but also excellent at room temperature.

Storage

Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese with Tomatoes, Olives and Onions keeps well for a couple of days and is delicious both warm and at room temperature.

Once baked, let the focaccia cool completely before storing it. If you plan to eat it the same day, you can keep it at room temperature for a few hours, covered with a clean kitchen towel.

Refrigerator - For longer storage, place the focaccia in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days. Since the filling is moist and made with onions, tomatoes and olives, refrigeration is the best option after the first day.

Reheating - To reheat it, place the slices in a preheated oven at 180°C (about 350°F) for about 10 minutes, or until warm and fragrant again. You can also warm it in a skillet over low heat, covered with a lid, to keep the inside soft while the bottom becomes slightly crisp.

Freezer - You can also freeze stuffed focaccia pugliese. Cut it into slices, wrap them well in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. Let the slices thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat them in the oven before serving.

Tips for Making the Best Stuffed Focaccia Pugliese

Dough Tips

Use the right potato. For the dough, choose a medium yellow potato, not too watery. Boil it with the skin on if possible, then peel and mash it while still warm. Let it cool slightly before adding it to the flour. The potato makes the dough softer and helps keep the focaccia moist even after baking.

Add the water gradually. The amount of water can vary depending on the flour and on how much moisture the potato contains. Start adding the lukewarm water little by little and stop when the dough becomes soft and workable. It should be elastic and slightly moist, but not sticky like a batter.

Filling and Baking Tips

Let the onions drain very well. If you soak the onions overnight, drain them carefully before cooking. Too much water in the onions can make the filling watery and may soften the bottom of the focaccia too much.

Cook the filling slowly. The onions should cook gently until soft and sweet, not browned or fried. Take your time with this step. A well-cooked filling gives the focaccia a richer and more balanced flavor.

Let the filling cool before assembling. Do not place a hot filling on the dough. Let it cool until lukewarm or room temperature, otherwise it can make the dough too soft and difficult to seal.

Do not overfill the focaccia. The filling should be generous but not excessive. Spread it evenly, leaving a small border around the edge so you can close the focaccia properly.

Seal the edges carefully. Fold the bottom layer of dough over the top layer and press well with your fingers. This keeps the filling inside during baking and gives the focaccia its rustic, homemade look.

Prick the surface before baking. A few holes made with a fork allow the steam to escape. This helps prevent the top from puffing up too much or tearing while baking.

Use plenty of olive oil on top. Brush the surface generously with extra virgin olive oil before baking. This gives the stuffed focaccia a golden, fragrant crust and keeps the top from drying out.

Let it rest before slicing. Once baked, wait at least 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. The filling will settle, the slices will hold their shape better, and the flavor will be even more balanced.

Variations and Substitutions

This stuffed focaccia pugliese is very versatile, and you can easily adapt the filling to your taste.

ANCHOVIES: If you prefer a vegetarian version, simply leave out the anchovies. The focaccia will still be very flavorful thanks to the onions, olives, capers and oregano. If you like a stronger savory taste, add the anchovies to the filling and let them melt into the onions while they cook.

ONIONS: You can use either white onions or red onions. White onions have a sweeter and more delicate flavor, while red onions give the filling a deeper color and a slightly stronger taste. If you can find young onions or spring onions, you can also use them for a flavor closer to some traditional Apulian onion-filled recipes.

OLIVES: Black olives are the most traditional choice for this kind of rustic filling, but you can also use green olives if you prefer a brighter, more tangy flavor. Just make sure they are pitted and well drained.

FLOUR: For the dough, manitoba flour or bread flour works very well because it gives strength and elasticity, while durum wheat semolina flour adds color, flavor and a rustic texture. If you cannot find bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour, but the dough may be slightly softer and less elastic.

TOMATOES: Cherry tomatoes add moisture and sweetness to the filling. If they are very juicy, cook the filling a few extra minutes to let the excess liquid evaporate before filling the focaccia.

More Focaccia Recipes to Try

If you love this stuffed focaccia pugliese, you may also like other traditional Italian focaccia recipes.

• Focaccia Genovese - the famous Ligurian focaccia with a soft inside, golden surface and delicious olive oil flavor.
• Focaccia di Recco - a traditional cheese-filled focaccia from Liguria, made without yeast and filled with creamy cheese.

These recipes are all different, but they show how rich and varied Italian focaccia can be from region to region.

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