Sweet Potato Focaccia with Garlic & Thyme
20
- Prep Time20 min
- Total Time1 h 5 min
- Makes8-10 servings
Photo, Janis Nicolay.
Fluffy and soft, this focaccia is a delicious partner to the Autumn Roasted Chicken with Stuffing, but it also suits summer dishes and can be sliced and grilled to serve with anything barbecued.
Ingredients
4⅓ cups (650 g) all-purpose flour
3 cups (225 g) coarsely grated sweet potatoes
¼ cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 tbsp (4 g) chopped fresh thyme, plus extra for sprinkling
4 tsp (20 g) coarse or flaked sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 7 g-pkg instant yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
1½ cups (375 mL) lukewarm water
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour and grated sweet potatoes to coat the sweet potato pieces. Add the olive oil, thyme, salt, garlic, yeast and lukewarm water. Stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes too difficult (the mixture will be rough and shaggy), then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl (no need to wash), cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise on the counter for an hour, until doubled in size.
After the first hour, punch the dough down to deflate it, cover the bowl and let rise for 45 minutes, again until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto an 11 × 17-inch (28 × 43 cm) parchment- lined baking tray and spread the dough to fill it. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Uncover the dough and use your fingertips to dimple the focaccia. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the focaccia is a deep golden brown.
Immediately from the oven, brush the hot bread with olive oil and sprinkle with a little chopped thyme and sea salt. Cool the focaccia in the tray on a rack for at least 30 minutes.
Kitchen tip
Like most breads, focaccia is best served the day it is baked. Because of the olive oil in it, it can also keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Excerpted from Anna Cooks by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2025 Anna Olson. Photographs by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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Anna Olson is a professionally trained chef and the internationally known host of Food Network Canada’s Bake with Anna Olson, as well as the Oh Yum with Anna Olson channel on YouTube. She is the author of 10 bestselling and award-winning cookbooks, including Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom, Baking Day with Anna Olson and Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson. She lives in Ontario with her husband, Michael.
