Pink Focaccia (no mixer needed!) (2024)

This light pink focaccia has turned into my promise to you that 1) I will not make you blend or mash anything for this focaccia this time and 2) you CAN make a bubbly, chewy focaccia without a stand mixer! I know I’ve given you options for both before, but I felt like now was the time I finally bring you a fun, springy focaccia that does require time, but not a lot of effort or tools.

I used to feel tied to the “rules” of bread baking, thinking that there was only one way to make a certain type of bread. Turns out, there is a lot of wiggle room within the rules. This focaccia uses a biga, which means a pre-fermented mixture of flour, water and yeast, which when given a bit of time to rest, helps develop a more complex flavor than you would normally get in a focaccia. I find in this light pink focaccia, the biga adds a bit of depth and sweetness, as well as makes it extra bouncy and bubbly. Which when you’re dimpling it, is a ton of fun to work with.

This dough is simple, but a fun project to take on for a weekend bake or a weeknight dinner! Read on for the details of this light pink focaccia, and how to make this focaccia at home.

The ingredients you will need for this light pink focaccia

This light pink focaccia is mostly your standard bread ingredients, but here is what you’ll need to make it happen:

For the biga

• 1(14-ouncecan) of beetsonly the water will be used, see instructions
• 185gramsof warm water, between 95°F and 100°F
• 10gramsactive dry yeast
• 10gramshoney
• 335gramsbread flour

For the final loaf

• 1biga (made above)
• 165gramsbread flour
• 12gramsDiamond Crystal kosher salt
• 65gramsof warm water, between 95°F and 100°F
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1teaspoonsmoked flaky sea saltfor topping

What is a biga? And how do you prepare it?

By definition, a biga is: “a thick mixture of flour, water, and yeast that is allowed to ferment for some time before being combined with fresh dough to make bread, used especially in Italian baking.“

What I consider it is a pre-ferment, almost a baby dough, that is mixed and then used later as a larger ingredient in a final dough. A biga is a cousin to a poolish, which is the term used for a similar mixture in French baking. Both impart a great flavor and richness to a bread dough, which is why, while they do take extra time and planning, they are so worth the end result.

To make a biga, simply mix together a portion of flour, yeast and water together and let it rise at room temperature for an hour, and then move it to the fridge to continue to develop in flavor. It’s simple but worth it!

What makes this focaccia light pink?

Ok, the pink is half just for fun here. The pink comes from beet juice, which you can strain out of a can of beets, meaning less work and no blending of cooked beets for you! Plus, it’s a natural coloring, meaning that you don’t need any dyes or anything else to make this light pink focaccia bright and pink.

How long will I need to let my biga ferment?

I recommend letting a biga rest for 6-8 hours, although it can go as little as two hours or as much as twelve. A good rule of thumb to keep in the back of your head though is that the longer the dough goes, the better flavor it will have!

A step-by-step guide to this light pink focaccia dough

You can find this in the recipe box below, but here is a bulleted breakdown of how to time, shape and make this focaccia dough. It’s a long recipe because I love instructions, but I hope it makes the process clear and easy!

• Place a large bowl onto a kitchen scale. Drain the liquid from the can of beets into the bowl. The can should yield 150 grams of liquid. Package up the beets for any other use you prefer (see notes). Pour the water in with the beet juice. You want 335 grams of liquid in total, so add more water if needed.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the water and whisk in the honey. Let this sit for 5 minutes or until foamy and bubbly. Then add the bread flour and mix well. This is now your “biga,” which means pre-ferment.
• Cover the biga and let it rise for 1 hour. Then transfer to the fridge and let it rest for 6-8 hours (see notes).
• When the biga is ready, prepare the full dough. Add the biga to a large bowl and add in the flour, salt and water. Mix this very well (if you skimp on the mixing, you’ll end up with flour pockets…and no one wants those) and transfer it to a smooth surface for kneading.
• The dough will be very sticky, but use your hands to lift it up and slap it against the counter, and fold it over itself. This will form some gluten and structure in the dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until it is very elastic, but don’t add any flour. If your hands are sticking too much, lightly dampen them before continuing to knead. You can also use a bench scraper for assistance.
• Clean out the bowl you mixed the dough in, and transfer the kneaded dough to it. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. Once the dough has rested, lightly dampen your hand and grab an edge of the dough. Stretch it up and fold it over itself, as if you are encasing something into the dough. Rotate the bowl 45 degrees, grab another edge, and lift and fold it over itself again. Do this until the dough is folded on all edges. Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes, then repeat the stretching and folding over.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Heavily cover the bottom of the baking dish with extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer the dough to the dish. Let it sit for 10 minutes for the gluten to relax, then stretch it all the way to the edges of the dish. Cover and let the dough rise for one last hour.
• When the dough has nearly doubled in size, drizzle a big layer of olive oil over the top, then dimple with your fingers. You should see big bubbles.
• Sprinkle with flaky salt and bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
• Let the focaccia sit out until it is cool enough to handle before removing it from the dish, then slicing and serving.

Topping ideas for this light pink focaccia

This focaccia can be treated just like any other, meaning: it LOVES a good topping. For my focaccia I always recommend topping it with:

• Chopped fresh tomatoes, along with some herbs and flaky salt
• Garlic confit
• Simple herbs such as rosemary and thyme
• Smoked flaky salt (we love Maldon in this house)
• Pickled red onions (for more pink!)
• Parmesan (absolutely delicious)
• Sun-dried tomatoes, which is one of our favorites!

But just like with any focaccia, it really is up to you!

FAQ

Looking for other bread recipes?

Why is everything in grams for this focaccia?

Baking, and bread especially, is a very finicky and exact science. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, and not volume. As much as I wish I could give you multiple ways to measure ingredients, in this recipe measuring by cups might cause some volatility and miss-matched results. I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe fool-proof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordablekitchen scaleif you want to move forward with this bread recipe!

And that’s everything for this Light Pink Focaccia!

If you make it, please tag me onPinterestorInstagramso I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3