Focaccia Art is a soft and aromatic Italian olive-oil bread decorated with colourful spring vegetables and fresh herbs. This easy homemade focaccia has a fluffy interior, golden crust, and a delicate olive flavor. Decorated with fresh vegetables, it's a fun and creative way to bake bread while turning it into edible art.
Recipe Snapshot
✅ Recipe Name:
⏲️ Ready In: 1 hour 45 minutes
👥 Serves: 8 slices
🍽 Calories: 210 per serving
🌏 Cuisine: Modern Italian
🍕 Recipe Type: Side / Snack
🔥 Flavor Profile: Aromatic & slightly salty
🧀 Ingredient Highlights: Olive oil, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs
Table of contents
This easy spring focaccia is golden and crisp on the outside, light and fluffy inside, and so fun to decorate that it never feels like work.
I’ve always loved baking bread that' feels a little bit magical's easy to make, but also fun! This focaccia is exactly that. It’s simple, forgiving, and a perfect weekend bake that’s equal parts cozy and creative.
If you love Italian-inspired fusion recipes, try my Gochujang Pasta, Kimchi Pizza, or Creamy Kimchi Pasta next.
What is Focaccia?
Focaccia is a classic Italian flatbread made with olive oil and yeast, similar to pizza dough but softer and airier. It’s known for its dimpled top, crisp edges, and rich aroma. Traditionally served as an appetiser or table bread, focaccia can also be used for sandwiches, snacks, or dipping into extra-virgin olive oil.
Hanelore's Note
I fell in love with focaccia art because it’s pure joy in bread form. The dough is fluffy and almost impossible to mess up, perfect even if you’ve never baked before!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Round-up
- Flour – Use a 1:1 mix of plain (all-purpose) and strong bread flour for light crumb and crisp crust.
- Olive Oil – The heart of focaccia; a good extra-virgin oil adds aroma and flavour.
- Yeast & Honey – Activate yeast with warm water and honey for a faster, fluffier rise.
- Fresh Herbs – Thyme, basil, and parsley bring fragrance and a bright finish.
- Vegetables – Cherry tomatoes, peppers, spring onions, broccoli, asparagus, peas, and corn — all add colour, sweetness, and crunch.
How To Make Focaccia Art
- Make Dough: Combine flours, salt, water, yeast mixture, and olive oil. Mix to form a sticky dough.
- Knead: On a floured surface, knead about 10 min until smooth and elastic.
- First Proof: Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
- Shape: Transfer to a greased tray, stretch with fingertips to create dimples. Cover and rest 20 min.
- Decorate: Arrange vegetables and herbs into a spring garden design.
- Bake: Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle sea salt and herbs, and bake at 220 °C (200 °C fan) for 25 min until golden and crisp.
Decorating Tips & Tricks
- Use contrasting colours for visual pop — cherry tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli work beautifully.
- Start with larger shapes (sun, stems) then layer smaller details.
- Keep toppings light so the dough bakes evenly.
- Finish with a final drizzle of olive oil for shine and flavour.
Substitutes & Variations
- Flour: Swap ratios for denser or lighter crumb.
- Toppings: Add any kind of veggies like olives, caramelised onions, or roasted garlic.
- Herbs: Try rosemary or za’atar for a twist.
- Mini versions: Make personal-size focaccias for snacks or gifts.
Storage & Freezing
- Best same day: crispest texture.
- Fridge: up to 2 days, wrapped airtight.
- Freezer: up to 1 month; reheat at 180 °C for 10 min to refresh crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. After the first rise, refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature before shaping.
Too much flour or over-kneading — the dough should stay slightly sticky.
Use up to 30% for a nutty flavour; texture will be firmer.
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If you’ve tried this recipe out, please don’t forget to rate and comment on this post. I love hearing from you, so feel free to reach out to me on social media as well and tag me in your posts!
Looking for more fun bread recipes? Check out this easy Rosemary Sourdough Bread!
Recipe
Focaccia Art (Spring Focaccia with Vegetables)
Equipment
- 40 x 25 cm (15 x 10 inces) baking tray
Ingredients
Focaccia dough
- 7 g instant dry yeast (1 satchel)
- 75 g water, warm (⅓ cup)
- 200 g plain white flour (1 ⅔ cups)
- 150 g strong white (bread) flour (1 ¼ cups)
- 50 g olive oil (3 tbsp)
- 8 g honey (1 tsp)
- 200 g water, tepid (¾ cup)
- 50 g olive oil (¼ cup)
- 1 tablespoon salt flakes
Vegetables
- 2 bell peppers, colourful
- 6 tender stem broccoli
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 5-6 asparagus
- 1 tablespoon sweet corn
- 1 tablespoon green peas
- 1-2 sprigs thyme / parsley / basil
- 1 tablespoon sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the warm water and the yeast. Mix it with a spoon until it dissolves. Add the honey in and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes to activate.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain white flour with the strong bread flour and the salt.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the yeast mixture, the olive oil and the rest of the water.
- With a wooden spoon or spatula mix the wet and dry ingredients until you form a sticky dough.
- Gently flour your work surface and start kneading your dough. Add a little flour so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands, but be careful not to add too much, so the dough doesn’t become too dense.
- Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and bounces back when you press on it with your finger.
- Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place your dough in. Sprinkle the dough with a little olive oil too, then cover with cling film and let prove for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, place it in a lined and greased baking tray. Using your fingers, gently push the dough into the tray to deflate some air and stretch it to cover the entire surface.
- Use your fingers to create the traditional focaccia dimples. Cover with cling film and let it sit while you prepare the vegetables.
- You can choose from a variety of fresh vegetables to decorate the focaccia with - basically anything goes. Cut some in thin strips, others in smaller cubes, and keep some larger in size for variety.
- Arrange the vegetables to form a spring landscape. You can use yellow and orange peppers for the sun, asparagus and spring onions for the trees and cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms and curly parsley for flowers. Once you’re happy with your decoration sprinkle generously with olive oil, thyme and sea salt.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) fan-assisted for 15 minutes. After this, turn the focaccia around in the oven to prevent burning and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Once ready, let it cool slightly on a wire rack, then serve whilst still warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using a kitchen scale in grams for more accuracy. The cups used for the conversion are standard US customary cups (1 cup flour = 136g). There are many different types of cups across the globe, which is why I strongly recommend using grams instead.
- Storing: you can store any remaining focaccia in the fridge for up to 2 days, or you can wrap it in cling film and freeze for up to 3-4 weeks. Just reheat it in the oven after thawing it.
- Vegetables: you can use any vegetables you like. Do not overload the focaccia with too many vegetables, however, as it can make the dough harder to bake and remain under-baked.
Nutrition
About The Author
Han is the creator of SugarYums and winner of Netflix’s Crazy Delicious. She shares delicious Korean street food, East Asian desserts, and playful fusion recipes that bring global flavours to everyday kitchens. Inspired by the markets of Seoul and beyond, Han combines tradition with creativity to make cooking feel bold, cozy, and fun!
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