Pumpkin Focaccia with Fresh Herbs

Easy pumpkin focaccia bread with fresh herbs is my newest favourite fall bread. This delicious bread is soft, fluffy, and springy, yet perfectly golden and crispy on the outside edges. Plus, it's packed with pumpkin (hello healthy vegetable!), and seasoned with fresh fall herbs making is so delicious and flavourful. But the best part might just be that it only takes 10-15 minutes of actual prep work from you. So so easy.

If you know me then you know that I love a good easy bread. Focaccia is one of my favourites (see my Easy Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread or my Easy No Knead Tomato Focaccia). Why? Well because you just need to put in the most minimal amount of effort, but the results are pretty amazing.

Ingredients

• active dry yeast + water - letting the yeast sit in some water for 5 minutes will activate it and is what will make the dough rise.
• all-purpose flour 
• pumpkin puree - you will need just ½ cup for a subtle pumpkin flavour. I used canned pumpkin but homemade pumpkin puree will work as well.
• fresh herbs - thyme, rosemary, and sage.
• olive oil - olive oil is what gives focaccia it's crispy outer texture and flavour.
• salt 
• toppings - pumpkin seeds and salt flakes.

You will also need mixing bowls and an 8-inch square baking pan. I also highly recommend a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurements.

How to Make the Best Pumpkin Focaccia with Fresh Herbs

First, prepare the dough.

In a small cup, dissolve yeast in water and stir to mix together. Let it sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, thyme, rosemary, sage, and salt. Add yeast mixture, pumpkin puree and 1 tablespoon olive oil into the bowl. Stir with a silicone spatula to combine until it forms a shaggy dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl (there should be no dry flour particles visible). 

Transfer the dough onto a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes until it turns into a smooth dough ball. Transfer the dough back into the bowl and drizzle and spread a little bit of oil over dough with your hands to help prevent it from drying out. Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and let it sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours, until doubled in size. 

Now, let's shape the focaccia.

Spread a teaspoon of olive oil into an 8-inch square baking pan. Transfer the dough into the pan with a spatula and spread it to cover the pan (if the dough is a bit sticky, you can use some water or oil to help with handling the dough). Press the dough with your fingers to make dimples. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon water and the remaining oil (about 2 teaspoons). Stir to mix well and drizzle the oil mixture over the dough. Sprinkle salt flakes on top.

Time for final proofing.

You can either proof overnight in the refrigerator or for one hour at room temperature:

1. Option 1: Cover the pan with plastic cling film or cloth and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. The dough will continue to rise slowly and become bubbly. The slow overnight fermentation makes the focaccia taste even better.
2. Option 2: If you want to eat the focaccia bread on the same day, simply let the dough rise for another hour at room temperature until almost double in size.

Bake the focaccia.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Transfer the baking pan straight from the refrigerator into the oven and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

How to Serve Pumpkin Focaccia Bread

Pumpkin focaccia bread pairs so well with a warm and cozy fall soup. Some of my favourites to pair with this are roasted butternut squash soup, creamy cauliflower and garlic soup, and sweet potato soup.

It also is a great bread to serve alongside any fall dinner, especially for a Thanksgiving or holiday dinner. For a smaller Thanksgiving meal, serve it with slow cooker turkey breast, mashed sweet potatoes, and nutty green beans.

More Bread Recipes

• Easy Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread
• Easy No Knead Tomato Focaccia
• Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
• Pull-Apart Garlic Bread
• Small Batch Sourdough Bread
• Small Batch No Knead Bread
• Easy Small Batch Ciabatta Rolls
• Homemade No Knead French Baguettes

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