This vegetable focaccia is irresistibly moist, with a tender crumb and a perfectly crispy crust. It’s piled high with a vibrant medley of roasted veggies: golden-edged zucchini, juicy cherry tomatoes, smoky red bell peppers, zesty red onion, and whole garlic cloves that turn buttery in the oven. Best of all, it’s surprisingly simple (and fun!) to make.
I love bread, and I always say I could make an entire meal out of bread, whether it's basic vegan bread, vegan naan, or vegan dinner rolls, but in the case of vegetable focaccia, I've actually done it. Okay, maybe paired up with a small salad, but close enough! I practically lived on this stuff when I was in college, so I figured it was about time I created a recipe for it!
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Focaccia is one of the easiest breads you can make, and this veggie version is no exception! The dough is similar to basic bread dough, but with a generous glug of olive oil that gives it that signature golden crust and tender-yet-chewy interior. Instead of shaping it into a loaf, you’ll spread it onto a baking sheet, top it with a delicious mix of veggies, drizzle on more olive oil, and bake until it’s beautifully puffed and golden.
If you loved my olive rosemary focaccia recipe, but want to liven things up with some more toppings, this veggie focaccia is for you!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Water.
- Sugar. Conventional (non-organic) sugar is often bleached using animal bone char, so we're using organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
- Yeast. You just need one packet of active dry yeast.
- Flour. We're using a mix of bread flour and all-purpose flour, to give our focaccia just the right texture.
- Salt. You'll need fine grain salt for the dough, as well as flaked sea salt for topping the focaccia.
- Olive oil.
- Zucchini. Yellow summer squash also works great.
- Red bell pepper. You could use an orange or yellow bell pepper, if you prefer.
- Cherry tomatoes.
- Red onion. Yellow onion will work in a pinch. It'll have a bit more bite to it!
- Garlic.
- Black pepper.
- Fresh basil.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Activate the yeast. Whisk it together with warm water (100°F to 110°F) and sugar. Let it sit for a few minutes until it becomes frothy.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients. Stir the bread flour, all-purpose flour, and fine salt together in a large bowl.
Step 3: Make the dough. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, then add the olive oil. Stir everything up to create a dough.
Step 4: Knead the dough. Place it on a lightly floured surface, and knead it until it becomes smooth and elastic. This should take about six to eight minutes.
Step 5: Proof the dough. Roll it into a ball and stick it into an oiled bowl. Cover it with a damp kitchen towel, place it in a warm spot, and let it rise.
After about one to two hours, your dough should have doubled in size. It's now ready to shape!
Tip: If your oven has a bread proofing setting, use it! Mine warms the oven to 95°F, and it takes about an hour for my dough to double.
Steps 6-8: Shape and second rise. Punch your dough down, then spread it into an oiled 10 x 15 inch baking sheet. Use your fingers to make indentations all over the top. Cover it again and let it rise for thirty to forty-five minutes, until it gets puffy.
Steps 9-11: Top and bake. Gently press your veggies into the top of the dough, then brush everything with olive oil. Pop it into the oven and bake it until the veggies are tender and the bread is golden brown.
Steps 12 and 13: Finish and serve. Place the baking pan on a cooling rack, then sprinkle your vegetable focaccia with flaked sea salt and black pepper. Let it cool, then top it with some fresh basil just before slicing and serving.
Variations
- Switch up the veggies. Got some other veggies hanging out in the fridge? Use them! This focaccia would be great with broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, or eggplant.
- Try different herbs. Tender herbs like fresh parsley, chives, and dill can be added just before serving, just like basil. Harder herbs like rosemary and thyme should be sprinkled on the loaf before baking.
- Add some sauce. Apply a very thin layer of sauce, such as vegan pesto or marinara sauce, before adding your vegetables.
- Make focaccia art. Arrange your veggies in pretty configurations. You can make flowers, trees, stars... use your imagination! This is a great way to have some fun in the kitchen with your kiddos!
Frequently Asked Questions
I don't recommend it. Yeast breads are fussy, and substituting gluten-free flour doesn't always work out. You'd be better off seeking out a gluten-free focaccia recipe and then adding the toppings from this recipe.
Nope! You can replace it with more all-purpose flour if that's all you have on hand. It won't be quite as crusty, but it will still be delicious.
Unfortunately, this means that your yeast is probably dead. Start over with a fresh packet.
What to Serve with Vegetable Focaccia
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📖 Recipe
Vegetable Focaccia
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 ½ cups water, heated to 100°F to 110°F
- 2 teaspoons organic granulated sugar
- 1 (0.25 ounce/7 gram) packet active dry yeast
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
- â…“ cup olive oil, plus more for the bowl and pan
For Topping
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- ½ medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ¼ medium red onion, very roughly chopped
- 10 garlic cloves (about 1 medium bulb), peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt, plus more to taste (I use 2)
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Whisk the water, sugar, and yeast together in a small cup or container. Set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes, until it becomes frothy. You can move on to the next step in the meantime.
- Stir the bread flour, all-purpose flour, and fine salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the yeast mixture and the olive oil into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir until the ingredients are combined and a dough has formed.
- Lightly flour a work surface, then turn the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes, adding flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil. Roll the dough into a ball, then place it in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, then set it in a warm location. Let it rise until it doubles in size, which will take 1 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature.
- Generously brush the bottom and sides of a rimmed 10 x 15 inch sheet pan with olive oil.
- Punch the dough down, then transfer it to the sheet pan. Spread it out into an even layer using your hands. Press your fingertips into the top of the dough to create indentations all over the top surface.
- Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and place it back in a warm location. Let it rise again until it has gotten visibly puffier, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Arrange the zucchini slices, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and garlic cloves all over the top surface of the dough, gently pressing the pieces in. Brush the top of the dough and vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Bake the loaf until the vegetables are tender and the bread is puffy and golden brown, about 20 to 24 minutes.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the top with flaked sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Let the loaf cool for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle the top with fresh basil leaves just before serving. Slice and serve.
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This was delicious. Light and fluffy with a crispy crust, we had it with goulash and it was the perfect side.
Hi
Can I roast my veggies before adding them to the focaccia? I cannot have raw onions and worry that they won't be soft enough if I stick them on the dough.
Eva
Hi Eva! You can precook the onion if you'd like - roasting or sautéing should work. Same with the garlic if that needs to be cooked. I wouldn't recommend precooking the other veggies, or they might get mushy.
Thank you so much, good to know about the other veggies.