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This is one of my favorite soups, re-imagined as bread: soft, fluffy focaccia with crispy edges topped with sautéed leeks, fresh thyme, sliced potatoes and cheese. Between making the focaccia dough and the topping, there are a few steps to this recipe, but it’s super easy and a lot of the recipe time is very hands off. The focaccia dough is a simple, same day dough that doesn’t require any kneading and the topping can be made while the dough rests. Serve this with my Potato Leek Soup for the perfect combo, or enjoy warm on its own. It would also be delicious as sandwich bread or for grilled cheese.
Potato Leek Focaccia (Easy Same Day, No Knead Recipe)
Soft homemade focaccia topped with leeks, sliced potatoes, herbs and a little cheese – one of my favorite soups, re-imagined as bread.
Equipment
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 1 ¾ cups warm water (between 100℉ and 110℉; see Note 1)
- 1 tbsp instant yeast (or active dry yeast; see Note 2)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp honey
- 6 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 4 cups all purpose flour (bread flour works too)
Potato Leek Topping
- 1 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
- 10-12 mini potatoes or 2 large potatoes peeled
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped and washed well (see Note 3)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, or more to taste
- 1 ½ cups cheese of choice, shredded (see Note 4)
Instructions
Focaccia Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast, salt, honey and 1 tbsp of the olive oil then let sit for 5 minutes to make sure your yeast is active (see Note 5)
- Add the flour and mix until a wet, sticky dough forms
- Cover and let rest for 15 minutes
- After 15 minutes, do the first of 3 sets of stretch and folds: starting from one side, stretch the dough upwards and fold it over itself 3-4 times while rotating the bowl
- Do 2 more sets of stretch and folds; cover and rest the dough 15 minutes between each set
- After the third set is complete, place the dough smooth side up and add 2 tbsp of olive oil; roll the dough around the bowl to ensure it's well coated
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size
- Oil a large baking sheet with 1 tbsp of oil and line with parchment paper (to help t stick) then coat with another tbsp of oil
- Transfer the dough to the baking sheet; fold it over itself twice like an envelope and flip smooth side up then cover with another piece of parchment paper
- Cover and proof again for 1-2 hours or until the dough has risen to almost the size of the baking sheet (tip: while the dough is on its second rise, make the topping by following the instructions below)
- Gently stretch dough to the corners then poke dimples all over with your fingers – make sure to poke deep enough that you can feel the bottom of the baking sheet to get those nice pockets
- Preheat oven to 425℉
Potato Leek Topping
- Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with water; add ½ tsp salt and bring to a boil
- Cook potatoes until just fork tender (8-15 minutes depending on size; see Note 6)
- Drain and transfer to an ice bath or cold water to stop the cooking
- When cooled, slice into ¼” thick slices and set aside
- Heat a sauté pan over medium low heat and add the butter
- Add leeks and sauté for 2 minutes then add thyme, ½ tsp salt and pepper
- Cook until wilted, about 6-7 mins
- Sprinkle cheese over the dough, top with the leek mixture, then layer the potato slices
- Drizzle with the last tbsp of olive oil (so the leeks don’t burn)
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the edges are golden
- Cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares
Notes
Note 1: If the water is too cold, the yeast won’t activate and your dough won’t rise correctly. If the water is too hot, it could kill the yeast.
Note 2: Active dry yeast also works for this recipe and can be used interchangeably with instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, follow the same steps but let your water and yeast mixture sit for 10-12 minutes or until foamy before proceeding with the recipe. If you use yeast by the packet, one packet (2 ¼ tsp) is enough for this recipe.
Note 3: Leeks are very, very dirty. Make sure you wash them 2-3 times (I recommend a strainer or salad spinner) until there’s no more dirt stuck between the layers.
Note 4: I used Parmesan but this recipe would be great with mozzarella, white cheddar, provolone or any other cheese you prefer or have on hand.
Note 5: You don’t technically need to let instant yeast activate before mixing in your flour, but I recommend it. If for some reason your yeast doesn’t activate correctly, you’ll know now instead of later on when your dough doesn’t rise correctly.
Note 6: Cook the potatoes until they’re JUST fork tender and barely cooked through. If they’re overcooked, they’ll be harder to thinly slice. They’ll continue to cook in the oven when baking the focaccia.
Nutrition Facts are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate. Nutritional information for this recipe is based on one slice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 516kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 16gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 989mgPotassium: 995mgFiber: 7gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 346IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 232mgIron: 5mg
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