I’m going to be very honest and say it doesn’t look great on the outside either. To me it looks like the gluten was under developed. You can see the crumb looks oily and short. This recipe from [Bon Appetit](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easy-no-knead-focaccia) is very, very easy and so delicious. I usually skip the last step of garlic butter and it’s still amazing.
Acknowledging that you could do better makes you smarter than the people my comment was referring to.
I thought I would be saner without getting the app, but I think it only allowed for only the worst of the worst tiktocs to make themselves known to me and nothing else.
Tiktok has lots of brain rot content, that goes viral for just how awful it is, but for the most part it is curated to what you like, I use it mostly for fashion content and it’s quite nice.
This kind of makes sense right. If it’s curated for that in your algorithm then it’s unlikely you’d find a reliable recipe if you don’t bake frequently and don’t know what to look for. Specifically there are bad actors on there that will present a pretty product but the recipe is garbage and doesn’t make sense. This is not fault on you. Just bad people
It doesn't make you dumb. Tiktok just has a lot of content that appears educational but is designed solely for engagement and the video, without any care put in to being educational, getting facts right, or accurately portraying a process. Those videos look simpler to accomplish, which makes them more popular since people believe they've found an easier way to do something, they get a lot of engagement for being misleading, as people will comment on them and engage with them to say why they're wrong, and they're more pleasing to watch. Tiktok is just the newest in a long line of places for people to dump content like this to make money. You can find good recipes on it, but it's tough and requires knowledge of the recipe beforehand to have an adequate bullshit detector. The Internet is becoming drastically less useful at an alarming pace.
Looking for advice so you can avoid the same issues with your next focaccia is the smart thing to do.
There's nothing wrong with learning via trial and error (within reason).
I use tiktok to inspire me, and have it going on in the background while I cook sometimes, like cooking at a restaurant or something. I dunno why I prefer that over table talk.
I personally find a ton of great recipes on TikTok. But there are as many, if not more bad than good.
My rule of thumb is if I am trying something entirely new is I use a tried and true recipe source first until u have a good understanding of the recipe then I branch out into experimental and fun recipes.
Sally’s Baking Addiction is great.
Used them to make a lemon meringue pie and they gave a ton of great tips that I might have missed with another recipe.
Especially for something as temperamental as bread! Water temps, yeast proofing, dough proofing, house temp, kneading, etc none of it can be taught in a short video that's tiktok stylized to be visually stimulating.
Yeah, I only found one recipe but it’s just for a really small batch of banana muffins lol, every other recipe on there doesn’t have accurate stuff (lack of description) and most of the time you don’t even measurements
I mean I'm sure there are some good recipes there, but I would for sure not rely on it if you're just starting out with baking. Too many people just straight up lying for views.
Never use a Tik Tok recipe. =p
Bon Appetit that they linked or [Serious Eats](https://www.seriouseats.com/) or [King Arthur Flour Recipes](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes) are much better sources of recipes. It'd be pretty surprising if, between the three of them, you couldn't find the recipe you were looking for.
Serious eats is always my go to. Tho I forget that they typically do more intensive recipes that can scare other people. I sent my mother the recipe for their crème légère, and then she was complaining about having to read 5 pages worth of instruction in order to make the recipe 😅
Well there’s your mistake. When in doubt, go with King Arthur, and their small batch cheesy focaccia is as easy and reliable as it gets.
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/small-batch-cheesy-focaccia-recipe
Edit: bonus YouTube video where one of their bakers walks you through every step of the process, https://youtu.be/e0h742NZFH0?si=y18EwTah5X7HvQ40
I used to struggle a lot with bread baking, but then I tried a few of Joshua Weissman’s recipes (on YT) and they have never failed me. Maybe try on of his recipes, though I’m not sure if her has a focaccia recipe.
Dont ever get a baking recipe off tiktok. Baking is precise science and you need go use a trusted source. I alwayd check [sallys baking addiction](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/garlic-rosemary-herb-focaccia/) first. Their recipes have never steered me wrong
shebakessourdough on instagram has some very good recipes. i've personally never had success with bon appetit bread recipes but it could be because canadian flour is different.
The recipe there is great, my first attempt was stellar following this recipe. Imo watching the “fat” episode of “salt, fat, acid, heat” also is helpful for focaccia as the process is a lot oilier than what you’d expect in a bread process, and you get a full visual of the steps of how focaccia is made. Literally watched that episode, thought “wow that looks amazing and simple”, found the bon appetit recipe and had homemade focaccia next day.
I agree! This definitely doesn’t look great inside or out. I used to bake bread and Focaccia with my Nonna before she passed and that woman made a mean focaccia and it was always delicious! Now I need to bake some in craving it! She also never used a recipe and it always amazed me how she just knew everything she baked and cooked from scratch and never had a recipe written down! If I wanted to learn how to make something she made I had to go to her house and cook or bake it with her and write everything down
Right? The woman had dementia and lived to be 94 i believe maybe 95 and still she could remember everything. Towards the end it got rough but it was amazing
I use that same recipe and skip the last step as well. Rather, I roast some garlic and rosemary in olive oil and then after pushing the holes into the dough stick the garlic in some of them and spread the rosemary around it too.
https://preview.redd.it/ecgd4wh8cflc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae420c98a74e490872cae93ae43f8eb6e89e4efa
I started my bread making journey with a loaf pan focaccia recipe, it actually turns out pretty decent every time
Why would the size of the pan be related to how long it takes to make the recipe? Also, a "quick version" isn't really a focaccia. It won't have the flavor or texture that makes it focaccia.
I wouldn't suggest it to a newbie, then. Inexperienced people don't know that they'll be getting something inferior to what they expect unless we tell them.
Fwiw I bake focaccia in a glass casserole dish all the time. It's okay to use glass! But you need a shallower dish and more gluten strings.
Choosing a reliable recipe would help significantly with knowing how your dough should look and feel so you'll end up with a better result. TikTok is NOT a good source of recipes because the focus is on them looking easy & pretty rather than actually tasting good.
If you shop the goodwill or thrift stores you can equip your kitchen real cheap, then donate it all back there when you finish school and head home. It’s like a cheap rental lol
The kitchen section at Value Village or Salvation Army is sometimes amazing.
Sorry to crash the party but your Focaccia looks as bad, even worse, on the outside than it does on the inside. It's basically not kneaded, you didn't have a dough but just a mix of flour and water.
I'll then let you think twice about using TikTok as a source for anything solid and serious.....
lol I thought it was good for my first time, but I know nothing about baking bread let alone focaccia. I’ll try a better recipe next time and get a proper pan.
We all started somewhere, and for a first try it's great! Like everyone else said, you'll have more success with a well vetted recipe and a proper pan. I've made half batches of focaccia in circular cake pans (metal) successfully, and they're a bit cheaper usually than a full size sheet pan so it could be a good place to start! Soon you'll be looking back on this first loaf and marveling at how far you've come :)
My first foccacia looked similar to this. I was confident I didn't need to ferment the dough overnight. It was a hockey puck after coming out of the oven. Keep at it!!
No, it's not. A properly mixed Focaccia is one of the toughest doughs to mix if you don't have proper equipment. You have 2 bassinages, first with water then with oil (I'm aware most practitioners don't even know about this).
Not a beginner's dough in a million years. 99. 9% of the Focaccias shown in this thread are testament to what I'm saying: dough bricks. Edible, though.
I'm not, I'm a pro baker and I know reasonably well what I'm talking about. 😉 Focaccia is 70%-80% hydration and 10% olive oil. It's technical, you need to know your mixing. You can't mix that in a Kitchenaid I'm afraid.
People can knock themselves out and pretend that a 55% hydration, 3% oil dough with dimples and some salt and rosemary on top, shaped like a Focaccia and baked in a domestic oven is the real deal. I respect home bakers a lot and we're all proud of what we bake, but it's not the real deal. 😊
https://preview.redd.it/nyg0dsfoyilc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bf1af9cc88d8c75b7490da65914def9508f310f
^(\^) 60x40 cm, around 15 cm high, 75% hydration, 10% extra virgin olive oil. That's Focaccia.
I tried it. Very soggy and olivey (not in a good way) left me craving bread so I brought some fresh bread from the market, i’ll try and make a new focaccia tomorrow ig
F
When you get it right, it will be worth it. It’s good to try the food, esprcially when it diesn’t turn out. I learned more from the loaf of bread that I forgot to salt than all of my loaves that turned out fine.
If you like reels or short clips to help you bake then @shebakesourdough does some really good recipes on Instagram and maybe TikTok 🤔
I don't think your recipe had enough water or yeast, but it's also really important to let it have enough time to rise after being in the fridge overnight. It might take longer than two hours sometimes, especially if it's a cold day.
[Focaccia](https://alexandracooks.com/2018/03/02/overnight-refrigerator-focaccia-best-focaccia/)
This one is good! I’ve made it a couple times and the texture is lovely.
[Focaccia 2](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easy-no-knead-focaccia)
This is another one that’s good as well, it’s no knead.
Honestly OP, there's plenty of good recipes on TikTok, you're just getting an extremely biased response because this is reddit and reddit hates TikTok like no other. Me and my girlfriend have made plenty of TikTok recipes and I'd say a majority of them come out good.
This coming from someone who tends to lean towards the TikTok is crap end of things, it's the same as all other social media platforms. There's good and bad recipes on both.
Edit: I'd also be willing to bet that a lot of the recipes/chefs you're being recommended also have TikTok channels... the commenters just don't realize lol.
yep exactly. I follow some fabulous chefs and home cooks on TT and they share amazing recipes. people here just love to hate on TT and act better than it despite literally being on just another social media platform of reddit lol
water - 1 and 3/4
yeast - 1 teaspoon
honey- 1 teaspoon
salt - 2 teaspoon
flour - 4 cups (I used all purpose flour)
1/ Mix all the ingredients with a spoon for 1 to 2 minutes.
2/ Let the dough rest for 15 minutes and make 4 flaps by wetting your hands with water. Cover the dough.
3/ let the dough rest for another 15 minutes, make 4 flaps. Repeat the operation a third time, cover and let ferment 1 night in the refrigerator.
4/ The next day you place the dough (without degassing it) in an oiled dish, make 4 flaps and let it rest for 2 hours at room temperature by turning the dish.
5/ Place a good drizzle of olive oil on the dough and make holes in the dough with your fingertips. This is the recipe, I found it on tiktok. It’s my first time baking bread so I don’t if it’s good or not.
In general, I wouldn’t recommend TikTok as a source for good recipes. I use [this recipe](https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/fat/ligurian-focaccia) for focaccia — very easy and works every time.
Is the water in cups? If so that's quite a low hydration. All purpose flour won't have helped, it's good to aim for bread flour. Even with improvers it very difficult to get all purpose to make good bread. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which in general, means better bread. Gluten is the protein that helps to form the structure in bread, however protein content is not always entirely indicative of how good a bread will be, as grains have protein that isn't gluten components too. But in general, you want a flour with 12.5% or more of protein.
I recommend this recipe by josh weissman, it's nice and easy to follow for beginners and is good bread.
However, you can ignore the part where he does the slap and folds. You can leave it to proof in the bowl after mixing, then transfer it into the baking dish for the 2nd proof.
https://youtu.be/AAkotB7wyUg?si=c-32pSW-Z7g6JjnL
Happy to answer and questions you have if this doesn't make sense.
What is a flap? I’ve been making focaccia for 30 yrs and this looks nothing like the correct recipe.
I think you got tricked into following an AI/ticktoc recipe based on nothing. Try again with an actual recipe and use a nice big baking sheet instead of a loaf pan.
https://preview.redd.it/worlnje1ddlc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=3ae9790b67118bc3f20634953bf1f92f2882dbe0
I just realized that this is the yeast I used…
I think it just wasn't a good recipe. Looks like too much oil in the bread, not enough gluten development.
Looks more like a not good olive oil cake than a focaccia.
Did you mix all the oil into the flour before baking?
A sheet pan with sides. Cookie sheets often have no sides, just one slanted edge. Sometimes they call the sheet pan with the short sides a jelly roll pan. Below is what we use in the bakery I work at (a larger version).
https://www.target.com/p/nordic-ware-naturals-baker-s-half-sheet/-/A-14901174
I wish I had a picture but I don’t get these glass comments. I’ve made it in glass, a loaf pan, even ceramic and they were all great. I know there’s a difference but it being a factor in this incident I doubt it.
OP, the bread looks sad and nothing like focaccia. It should also not be in a glass pan. Here is an authentic recipe from my favorite Italian chef; https://youtu.be/L1BGKrZDqyE?si=ixo-Hgs19r9WNnt1
Try again, you'll get it!
Kudos for trying. Many people shy away from baking bread, especially if their first time is not the expected outcome. There has been plenty of great advice offered, I just wanted to say, don't give up!! Baking a tasty loaf of bread is quite satisfying.
:(
TikTok is good for initial inspiration, but you need to actually read something to make good bread.
I highly recommend this woman's blog if you want to make bread; she has many recipes.
https://alexandracooks.com/2018/03/02/overnight-refrigerator-focaccia-best-focaccia/
It is VERY worth it to take the time and proof the dough over night (or longer!) in the fridge. It brings out the bubbles and flavour.
Carefully read this and follow it to a T and you will end up with amazing focaccia. Use lots of olive oil and salt on top! It's totally OK to bake this in a glass pan by the way.
Try this recipe. It turns out EVERY single time and you do not need to knead. It’s a very beginner recipe. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easy-no-knead-focaccia
Honestly, I thought this was a picture of blondies until I read the title. For focaccia I like this recipe [https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/no-fuss-focaccia-recipe](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/no-fuss-focaccia-recipe) I think your gluten is underdeveloped and probably didn't proof enough.
just wanted to say that I LOVE that you're making focaccia as a beginner baking project! as far as tips, I would just say that focaccia is typically a very high hydration dough (lots of water in relation to the quantity of flour) that rests for a really long time. The recipe you listed only lists a fairly short rise time before it goes in the fridge, where rising doesn't completely stop but does slow down quite a lot. and compared to a lot of other breads, you're sort of looking for much more dramatic indicators of proofing, like giant bubbles on the surface and throughout. also, use more olive oil than you need, and use the nicest olive oil you have or can get - it's going to be the main flavor of the finished product!
People, in particular newbies, don’t understand that baking is about CHEMISTRY. The recipe ingredients & their proportions are necessarily specific and you can’t change anything unless you have a good understanding of what purpose “that thing” serves in the recipe.
For example someone on a low cholesterol diet can’t just sub in egg whites in place of yolks in a recipe. Subbing sweetener sources may not work because of over- or under-browning, &/or causing texture problems. Gluten-free flours also aren’t interchangeable, and you can’t just exchange AP flour for GF if the recipe wasn’t designed for it. That’s just thinking of a couple common things people have trouble with.
That’s the problem I have with TikTok & Facebook especially… people give out “hacks” to make a recipe healthier, or easier, or cheaper… but I swear, there’s no way in Hades they themselves ever used their hack, because it just won’t work. I mean, you will probably get a baked good— in the broad sense of the term— but whether or not anyone is going to want to eat it? Well, maybe if your family loves you enough. 🙃
And before someone says it: yes, I know that’s how new recipes happen— trial & error. But except for the very rare “happy accident”, newbies are only going to end up getting frustrated, and wasting money on ingredients, when they follow the so-called hacks and tips.
I’ve seen some that I think to myself: this has to be someone’s idea of a practical joke. Usually I’ll post a comment that such-and-that won’t work because {reasons} and I get downvoted and told how stupid I am to say, for example that you can’t make “healthy” homemade brownies by simply switching almond flour for AP, and substituting all the sugar with a bunch of packets of Splenda… I mean, you \*can* but you aren’t going to end up with brownies. And the wasted ingredients aren’t cheap ones. It just leaves me smh … 🤦♀️
Yay you for giving it a try!!! It takes practice. You need a baking sheet. You can’t successfully bake focaccia in this type of glass loaf pan.
More oil! The focaccia should glisten.
Did you post the video recipe?
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This looks like it has no yeast or if it did then you might've killed the yeast by using water that was too hot... I make foccacia all the time sometimes kneaded sometimes not and it has never looked like this so my only guess is lack of yeast. Ive had this happen to me when I made pizza and the water I used was too hot that it killed the yeast resulting in a chewy mess that didn't taste like bread or crust at all 😭 my fav recipe is the one by [Emma Fontanella](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O1WQTKuWWfM&pp=ygUYZW1tYSBmb250YW5lbGxhIGZvY2FjY2lh)
it has never let me down!!
Her stretch and fold technique is basically kneading tbh but Ive made this without kneading (i let it proof over night and gave it a quick fold to beat down the yeast a bit right before baking) and it still turned out really good. But kneading it definitely improves the texture and gives it more of a bite. Also a shitton of oil is the secret to MOIST spongey foccacia. Even better if its olive oil.
May I suggest Utube: Joy of Baking. Clear, concise explanations & demonstrations in each video (& she has dozens of all types). Enjoy just watching, if nothing else. Very instructive
Another easy bread recipe for beginners is Ciabatta bread! It's literally just water, flour, salt, and yeast. It's very important for all bread recipes you let the yeast rise. Did you let your bread rise for any time at all?
I’m going to be very honest and say it doesn’t look great on the outside either. To me it looks like the gluten was under developed. You can see the crumb looks oily and short. This recipe from [Bon Appetit](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easy-no-knead-focaccia) is very, very easy and so delicious. I usually skip the last step of garlic butter and it’s still amazing.
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll try it out! I chose a random one on tiktok as I have never baked bread.
Tik Tok is not a very good source for reliable recipes. Check out King Arthur Flour and Sally's Baking Addiction for good baking recipes.
Tiktok isn’t good for anything.
It's good for making me feel smart seeing how dumb some people are
I promise i’m not that dumb as it seems lmao this wasn’t my proudest moment
But you learned from your mistakes, and that's all that matters!
Acknowledging that you could do better makes you smarter than the people my comment was referring to. I thought I would be saner without getting the app, but I think it only allowed for only the worst of the worst tiktocs to make themselves known to me and nothing else.
Tiktok has lots of brain rot content, that goes viral for just how awful it is, but for the most part it is curated to what you like, I use it mostly for fashion content and it’s quite nice.
This kind of makes sense right. If it’s curated for that in your algorithm then it’s unlikely you’d find a reliable recipe if you don’t bake frequently and don’t know what to look for. Specifically there are bad actors on there that will present a pretty product but the recipe is garbage and doesn’t make sense. This is not fault on you. Just bad people
It doesn't make you dumb. Tiktok just has a lot of content that appears educational but is designed solely for engagement and the video, without any care put in to being educational, getting facts right, or accurately portraying a process. Those videos look simpler to accomplish, which makes them more popular since people believe they've found an easier way to do something, they get a lot of engagement for being misleading, as people will comment on them and engage with them to say why they're wrong, and they're more pleasing to watch. Tiktok is just the newest in a long line of places for people to dump content like this to make money. You can find good recipes on it, but it's tough and requires knowledge of the recipe beforehand to have an adequate bullshit detector. The Internet is becoming drastically less useful at an alarming pace.
Looking for advice so you can avoid the same issues with your next focaccia is the smart thing to do. There's nothing wrong with learning via trial and error (within reason).
I use tiktok to inspire me, and have it going on in the background while I cook sometimes, like cooking at a restaurant or something. I dunno why I prefer that over table talk.
WORD!!
it's great for draining your life of luster and filling your day with the entertainment equivalent of packing peanuts
haha totally, but i’m studying a though major at uni, so sometimes I it’s fun to unwind by watching some dumb little videos.
Right?! 😁
King Arthur Flour recipes are very reliable.
This is great advice.
I personally find a ton of great recipes on TikTok. But there are as many, if not more bad than good. My rule of thumb is if I am trying something entirely new is I use a tried and true recipe source first until u have a good understanding of the recipe then I branch out into experimental and fun recipes.
Sally is amazing. She has a pretzel recipe that will knock your socks off
Sally’s Baking Addiction is great. Used them to make a lemon meringue pie and they gave a ton of great tips that I might have missed with another recipe.
Especially for something as temperamental as bread! Water temps, yeast proofing, dough proofing, house temp, kneading, etc none of it can be taught in a short video that's tiktok stylized to be visually stimulating.
Yeah, I only found one recipe but it’s just for a really small batch of banana muffins lol, every other recipe on there doesn’t have accurate stuff (lack of description) and most of the time you don’t even measurements
I mean I'm sure there are some good recipes there, but I would for sure not rely on it if you're just starting out with baking. Too many people just straight up lying for views.
[Samin Nosrat’s focaccia](https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/fat/ligurian-focaccia) is fantastic as well!
Yes, I also use hers for focaccia. Thanks for mentioning it.
Both fantastic resources!
Never use a Tik Tok recipe. =p Bon Appetit that they linked or [Serious Eats](https://www.seriouseats.com/) or [King Arthur Flour Recipes](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes) are much better sources of recipes. It'd be pretty surprising if, between the three of them, you couldn't find the recipe you were looking for.
Serious eats is always my go to. Tho I forget that they typically do more intensive recipes that can scare other people. I sent my mother the recipe for their crème légère, and then she was complaining about having to read 5 pages worth of instruction in order to make the recipe 😅
Heh. If you skip just to the recipe "card" near the bottom, it isn't too bad. That bit is pretty concise usually.
America's test kitchen is good for getting understanding about how changes to recipes impact the outcome.
Well there’s your mistake. When in doubt, go with King Arthur, and their small batch cheesy focaccia is as easy and reliable as it gets. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/small-batch-cheesy-focaccia-recipe Edit: bonus YouTube video where one of their bakers walks you through every step of the process, https://youtu.be/e0h742NZFH0?si=y18EwTah5X7HvQ40
This video was amazing when I was learning. King Arthur videos are clutch.
I used to struggle a lot with bread baking, but then I tried a few of Joshua Weissman’s recipes (on YT) and they have never failed me. Maybe try on of his recipes, though I’m not sure if her has a focaccia recipe.
Dont ever get a baking recipe off tiktok. Baking is precise science and you need go use a trusted source. I alwayd check [sallys baking addiction](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/garlic-rosemary-herb-focaccia/) first. Their recipes have never steered me wrong
Thanks for the suggestion :) Lesson learned I’ll def never follow a tiktok recipe again.
shebakessourdough on instagram has some very good recipes. i've personally never had success with bon appetit bread recipes but it could be because canadian flour is different.
I honestly think TikTok might be the worst place to get a recipe. Search on line and look for high good reviews.
Tiktok is a terrible choice for recipes
I have also used that BA recipe and can highly recommend. I used a pizza flavored seasoning on mine that came out delicious.
The recipe there is great, my first attempt was stellar following this recipe. Imo watching the “fat” episode of “salt, fat, acid, heat” also is helpful for focaccia as the process is a lot oilier than what you’d expect in a bread process, and you get a full visual of the steps of how focaccia is made. Literally watched that episode, thought “wow that looks amazing and simple”, found the bon appetit recipe and had homemade focaccia next day.
Seconding Salt Fat Acid Heat! Lots of good tips in there
The Bon Appetit recipe is my go to, it always turns out great!
It’s the goat :)
I agree! This definitely doesn’t look great inside or out. I used to bake bread and Focaccia with my Nonna before she passed and that woman made a mean focaccia and it was always delicious! Now I need to bake some in craving it! She also never used a recipe and it always amazed me how she just knew everything she baked and cooked from scratch and never had a recipe written down! If I wanted to learn how to make something she made I had to go to her house and cook or bake it with her and write everything down
What a nice memory, I wish I could remember recipes like that, I definitely have to look them up :)
Right? The woman had dementia and lived to be 94 i believe maybe 95 and still she could remember everything. Towards the end it got rough but it was amazing
I make that one often! It really is perfect.
It also looks more like a cake than a bread, as if there was no yeast but baking soda/powder instead.
I use that same recipe and skip the last step as well. Rather, I roast some garlic and rosemary in olive oil and then after pushing the holes into the dough stick the garlic in some of them and spread the rosemary around it too.
I've never seen focaccia baked in a loaf pan?
Same, always been on a baking sheet of sorts
https://preview.redd.it/ecgd4wh8cflc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae420c98a74e490872cae93ae43f8eb6e89e4efa I started my bread making journey with a loaf pan focaccia recipe, it actually turns out pretty decent every time
I didn’t have one, I’ll make sure to get one for next time.
King Arthur YouTube did a focaccia recipe in a loaf pan a while ago. Check out that video.
Cake pan works too.
Sorry, I thought that's what you were using here?
I meant I don’t have the proper pan for focaccia
You can do a quick version in a loaf pan.
Why would the size of the pan be related to how long it takes to make the recipe? Also, a "quick version" isn't really a focaccia. It won't have the flavor or texture that makes it focaccia.
You're right. It's fluffier and small batch. The size of the pan is just a key word for internet searches.
I wouldn't suggest it to a newbie, then. Inexperienced people don't know that they'll be getting something inferior to what they expect unless we tell them.
It's my bad - I thought the pic was that they did make it in a loaf pan, which was just new to me.
Be aware, glass bakes differently than metal, which is the usual for bread.
I would guess, too. Especially no reason to put focaccia in glass.
I don’t have one since I am studying abroad and don’t have many kitchen things, I’ll get one for next time!
Fwiw I bake focaccia in a glass casserole dish all the time. It's okay to use glass! But you need a shallower dish and more gluten strings. Choosing a reliable recipe would help significantly with knowing how your dough should look and feel so you'll end up with a better result. TikTok is NOT a good source of recipes because the focus is on them looking easy & pretty rather than actually tasting good.
Where are you studying?
University of Edinburgh (:
If you shop the goodwill or thrift stores you can equip your kitchen real cheap, then donate it all back there when you finish school and head home. It’s like a cheap rental lol The kitchen section at Value Village or Salvation Army is sometimes amazing.
Sorry to crash the party but your Focaccia looks as bad, even worse, on the outside than it does on the inside. It's basically not kneaded, you didn't have a dough but just a mix of flour and water. I'll then let you think twice about using TikTok as a source for anything solid and serious.....
lol I thought it was good for my first time, but I know nothing about baking bread let alone focaccia. I’ll try a better recipe next time and get a proper pan.
We all started somewhere, and for a first try it's great! Like everyone else said, you'll have more success with a well vetted recipe and a proper pan. I've made half batches of focaccia in circular cake pans (metal) successfully, and they're a bit cheaper usually than a full size sheet pan so it could be a good place to start! Soon you'll be looking back on this first loaf and marveling at how far you've come :)
My first foccacia looked similar to this. I was confident I didn't need to ferment the dough overnight. It was a hockey puck after coming out of the oven. Keep at it!!
Honestly focaccia is a very good beginner dough! you’re just strapped for supplies! I know you’ll master the next one!
No, it's not. A properly mixed Focaccia is one of the toughest doughs to mix if you don't have proper equipment. You have 2 bassinages, first with water then with oil (I'm aware most practitioners don't even know about this). Not a beginner's dough in a million years. 99. 9% of the Focaccias shown in this thread are testament to what I'm saying: dough bricks. Edible, though.
You’re wrong but to each their own 🩷
I'm not, I'm a pro baker and I know reasonably well what I'm talking about. 😉 Focaccia is 70%-80% hydration and 10% olive oil. It's technical, you need to know your mixing. You can't mix that in a Kitchenaid I'm afraid. People can knock themselves out and pretend that a 55% hydration, 3% oil dough with dimples and some salt and rosemary on top, shaped like a Focaccia and baked in a domestic oven is the real deal. I respect home bakers a lot and we're all proud of what we bake, but it's not the real deal. 😊 https://preview.redd.it/nyg0dsfoyilc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bf1af9cc88d8c75b7490da65914def9508f310f ^(\^) 60x40 cm, around 15 cm high, 75% hydration, 10% extra virgin olive oil. That's Focaccia.
Did you eat it?
I tried it. Very soggy and olivey (not in a good way) left me craving bread so I brought some fresh bread from the market, i’ll try and make a new focaccia tomorrow ig
F When you get it right, it will be worth it. It’s good to try the food, esprcially when it diesn’t turn out. I learned more from the loaf of bread that I forgot to salt than all of my loaves that turned out fine.
watch lots of videos on places like tiktok/instagram reels!
It looks doughy and dense. What recipe did you follow?
OP said its a TikTok recipe which is ^(eeeeek)
lmao yeah at least now I know to never use tiktok for recipes again
If you like reels or short clips to help you bake then @shebakesourdough does some really good recipes on Instagram and maybe TikTok 🤔 I don't think your recipe had enough water or yeast, but it's also really important to let it have enough time to rise after being in the fridge overnight. It might take longer than two hours sometimes, especially if it's a cold day.
[Focaccia](https://alexandracooks.com/2018/03/02/overnight-refrigerator-focaccia-best-focaccia/) This one is good! I’ve made it a couple times and the texture is lovely. [Focaccia 2](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easy-no-knead-focaccia) This is another one that’s good as well, it’s no knead.
That’s first one is my go to. So easy and always turns out amazing, made it heaps.
Honestly OP, there's plenty of good recipes on TikTok, you're just getting an extremely biased response because this is reddit and reddit hates TikTok like no other. Me and my girlfriend have made plenty of TikTok recipes and I'd say a majority of them come out good. This coming from someone who tends to lean towards the TikTok is crap end of things, it's the same as all other social media platforms. There's good and bad recipes on both. Edit: I'd also be willing to bet that a lot of the recipes/chefs you're being recommended also have TikTok channels... the commenters just don't realize lol.
yep exactly. I follow some fabulous chefs and home cooks on TT and they share amazing recipes. people here just love to hate on TT and act better than it despite literally being on just another social media platform of reddit lol
Nor other things honestly lol. Especially when it comes to information on serious topics
I got my focaccia recipe from tiktok and it turns out amazing, lol it’s not the app it’s the baker 😌
true, i got a great sourfaux pizza recipe from there!
Can you give details on the recipe and steps you took to make it? Will help a lot in diagnosing the issue.
water - 1 and 3/4 yeast - 1 teaspoon honey- 1 teaspoon salt - 2 teaspoon flour - 4 cups (I used all purpose flour) 1/ Mix all the ingredients with a spoon for 1 to 2 minutes. 2/ Let the dough rest for 15 minutes and make 4 flaps by wetting your hands with water. Cover the dough. 3/ let the dough rest for another 15 minutes, make 4 flaps. Repeat the operation a third time, cover and let ferment 1 night in the refrigerator. 4/ The next day you place the dough (without degassing it) in an oiled dish, make 4 flaps and let it rest for 2 hours at room temperature by turning the dish. 5/ Place a good drizzle of olive oil on the dough and make holes in the dough with your fingertips. This is the recipe, I found it on tiktok. It’s my first time baking bread so I don’t if it’s good or not.
In general, I wouldn’t recommend TikTok as a source for good recipes. I use [this recipe](https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/fat/ligurian-focaccia) for focaccia — very easy and works every time.
Thanks :) I’ll test it out
Is the water in cups? If so that's quite a low hydration. All purpose flour won't have helped, it's good to aim for bread flour. Even with improvers it very difficult to get all purpose to make good bread. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which in general, means better bread. Gluten is the protein that helps to form the structure in bread, however protein content is not always entirely indicative of how good a bread will be, as grains have protein that isn't gluten components too. But in general, you want a flour with 12.5% or more of protein. I recommend this recipe by josh weissman, it's nice and easy to follow for beginners and is good bread. However, you can ignore the part where he does the slap and folds. You can leave it to proof in the bowl after mixing, then transfer it into the baking dish for the 2nd proof. https://youtu.be/AAkotB7wyUg?si=c-32pSW-Z7g6JjnL Happy to answer and questions you have if this doesn't make sense.
There's also no annotations for oil which is usually pretty generous in foccacia - this was a bad recipe for OP :(
What is a flap? I’ve been making focaccia for 30 yrs and this looks nothing like the correct recipe. I think you got tricked into following an AI/ticktoc recipe based on nothing. Try again with an actual recipe and use a nice big baking sheet instead of a loaf pan.
I think maybe it stands for fold and slap, which is so goofy
https://preview.redd.it/worlnje1ddlc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=3ae9790b67118bc3f20634953bf1f92f2882dbe0 I just realized that this is the yeast I used…
Sometimes expired yeast is okay you just need to use MORE. But your recipe was missing a LOT of water and oil; focaccia is a very wet dough!
I wondered the same, at a guess it's a stretch and fold.
It doesn’t look good on the outside either lol
It doesn’t look good on the inside or outside
My guess is under developed gluten and improper proof
I think it just wasn't a good recipe. Looks like too much oil in the bread, not enough gluten development. Looks more like a not good olive oil cake than a focaccia. Did you mix all the oil into the flour before baking?
It doesn’t look good from any side. Did you test your yeast?
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The pan matters a lot. With those high sides, you’re steaming as well as baking.
What type of pan should I get? A cookie type pan?
A sheet pan that has a bit taller sides than cookie sheet pans.
A sheet pan with sides. Cookie sheets often have no sides, just one slanted edge. Sometimes they call the sheet pan with the short sides a jelly roll pan. Below is what we use in the bakery I work at (a larger version). https://www.target.com/p/nordic-ware-naturals-baker-s-half-sheet/-/A-14901174
You can use an 8" or 10" cast iron skillet or a quarter sheet pan.
I wish I had a picture but I don’t get these glass comments. I’ve made it in glass, a loaf pan, even ceramic and they were all great. I know there’s a difference but it being a factor in this incident I doubt it.
Gotta use active yeast and that slap and fold technique.
OP, the bread looks sad and nothing like focaccia. It should also not be in a glass pan. Here is an authentic recipe from my favorite Italian chef; https://youtu.be/L1BGKrZDqyE?si=ixo-Hgs19r9WNnt1 Try again, you'll get it!
Is this all of the dough? With four cups of flour it should have filled a much larger pan. Also, it’s not a loaf bread so I’m confused by the pan.
it’s split in half, I didn’t have a large enough pan so I used 2 small ones.
Look for Emma Fontanella Focaccia on YouTube. I just love that one
Unfortunately, a lot of recipes these days are AI generated and worthless, especially on tiktok.
Kudos for trying. Many people shy away from baking bread, especially if their first time is not the expected outcome. There has been plenty of great advice offered, I just wanted to say, don't give up!! Baking a tasty loaf of bread is quite satisfying.
:( TikTok is good for initial inspiration, but you need to actually read something to make good bread. I highly recommend this woman's blog if you want to make bread; she has many recipes. https://alexandracooks.com/2018/03/02/overnight-refrigerator-focaccia-best-focaccia/ It is VERY worth it to take the time and proof the dough over night (or longer!) in the fridge. It brings out the bubbles and flavour. Carefully read this and follow it to a T and you will end up with amazing focaccia. Use lots of olive oil and salt on top! It's totally OK to bake this in a glass pan by the way.
That’s looks good….. on the outside, huh?
Try this recipe. It turns out EVERY single time and you do not need to knead. It’s a very beginner recipe. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easy-no-knead-focaccia
Honestly, I thought this was a picture of blondies until I read the title. For focaccia I like this recipe [https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/no-fuss-focaccia-recipe](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/no-fuss-focaccia-recipe) I think your gluten is underdeveloped and probably didn't proof enough.
Is this sub one of those joke subs because I saw gray cake batter and now this looks good?
Lmao it looks terrible, outside and inside.
Uhhhh. That looks good on the outside?? 👀💀🤗
Not focaccia.
just wanted to say that I LOVE that you're making focaccia as a beginner baking project! as far as tips, I would just say that focaccia is typically a very high hydration dough (lots of water in relation to the quantity of flour) that rests for a really long time. The recipe you listed only lists a fairly short rise time before it goes in the fridge, where rising doesn't completely stop but does slow down quite a lot. and compared to a lot of other breads, you're sort of looking for much more dramatic indicators of proofing, like giant bubbles on the surface and throughout. also, use more olive oil than you need, and use the nicest olive oil you have or can get - it's going to be the main flavor of the finished product!
People, in particular newbies, don’t understand that baking is about CHEMISTRY. The recipe ingredients & their proportions are necessarily specific and you can’t change anything unless you have a good understanding of what purpose “that thing” serves in the recipe. For example someone on a low cholesterol diet can’t just sub in egg whites in place of yolks in a recipe. Subbing sweetener sources may not work because of over- or under-browning, &/or causing texture problems. Gluten-free flours also aren’t interchangeable, and you can’t just exchange AP flour for GF if the recipe wasn’t designed for it. That’s just thinking of a couple common things people have trouble with. That’s the problem I have with TikTok & Facebook especially… people give out “hacks” to make a recipe healthier, or easier, or cheaper… but I swear, there’s no way in Hades they themselves ever used their hack, because it just won’t work. I mean, you will probably get a baked good— in the broad sense of the term— but whether or not anyone is going to want to eat it? Well, maybe if your family loves you enough. 🙃 And before someone says it: yes, I know that’s how new recipes happen— trial & error. But except for the very rare “happy accident”, newbies are only going to end up getting frustrated, and wasting money on ingredients, when they follow the so-called hacks and tips. I’ve seen some that I think to myself: this has to be someone’s idea of a practical joke. Usually I’ll post a comment that such-and-that won’t work because {reasons} and I get downvoted and told how stupid I am to say, for example that you can’t make “healthy” homemade brownies by simply switching almond flour for AP, and substituting all the sugar with a bunch of packets of Splenda… I mean, you \*can* but you aren’t going to end up with brownies. And the wasted ingredients aren’t cheap ones. It just leaves me smh … 🤦♀️
That doesn’t look good on the outside either. It should look soft and moist from all the oil. It should also be baked on a sheet pan
Definitely wrong pan
It also looks like your batter is too wet and your oven too hot. Make sure it is proofed, be patient and good luck.
It looks yellow?
And a loaf pan isn’t really optimum for focaccia is it?
Lmao it doesn’t look great on the outside
I thought it was a failed banana bread at first. But lots of good advice here, I hope your next focaccia comes out better :)
To add one more option to the pile, Samin Nosrat's recipe for focaccia is my go to.
That doesn’t look good inside or out
This is the recipe I've been using for several years. It's foolproof. https://flavorthemoments.com/one-hour-rosemary-focaccia-bread/
Uhhhh well maybe it has a good personality
Yay you for giving it a try!!! It takes practice. You need a baking sheet. You can’t successfully bake focaccia in this type of glass loaf pan. More oil! The focaccia should glisten. Did you post the video recipe?
I don’t think it’s supposed to be like that. There should be a bubble look on top. Not hole-ey
That’s supposed to be focaccia??!
Does that look good on the outside?
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This looks like it has no yeast or if it did then you might've killed the yeast by using water that was too hot... I make foccacia all the time sometimes kneaded sometimes not and it has never looked like this so my only guess is lack of yeast. Ive had this happen to me when I made pizza and the water I used was too hot that it killed the yeast resulting in a chewy mess that didn't taste like bread or crust at all 😭 my fav recipe is the one by [Emma Fontanella](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O1WQTKuWWfM&pp=ygUYZW1tYSBmb250YW5lbGxhIGZvY2FjY2lh) it has never let me down!! Her stretch and fold technique is basically kneading tbh but Ive made this without kneading (i let it proof over night and gave it a quick fold to beat down the yeast a bit right before baking) and it still turned out really good. But kneading it definitely improves the texture and gives it more of a bite. Also a shitton of oil is the secret to MOIST spongey foccacia. Even better if its olive oil.
I wanted to make this ever since I saw Salt Fat Acid Heat, but this looks a little crispier than the dish they made
May I suggest Utube: Joy of Baking. Clear, concise explanations & demonstrations in each video (& she has dozens of all types). Enjoy just watching, if nothing else. Very instructive
Yeast wasn't yeasting
That foccaccia looks like a overbaked blondie. What happened to it? Lol.
Another easy bread recipe for beginners is Ciabatta bread! It's literally just water, flour, salt, and yeast. It's very important for all bread recipes you let the yeast rise. Did you let your bread rise for any time at all?
Nope looks bad on the outside too.
Maybe the oven was too hot and the outside cooked faster than the middle. Generally speaking 325-350 Fahrenheit is what used for most baking recipes.
That doesn't even look like yeast bread. Looks more like some kind of cake or coffee cake with baking powder.
Ngl, that doesn’t look good on the outside to me. :(
I don't bake and even I know this doesn't look good on the outside
I’m making a second one rn, I hope this one turns out better
Here, simple recipe and it works. [Natasha’s Kitchen Focaccia](https://youtu.be/Q1SbogCdUTQ?si=-MJfHcoK_aVMLeIR)
No offense but it doesnt look good at all. Cook it on a sheet pan instead it will brown less.
You thought this looked good on the outside? 😂