This pink pepper sweet potato focaccia is another one of my fusion recipes: Italian at its core, but I first ate it during a layover in Israel, where it’s usually seasoned with za’atar. That version became my autumn za’atar focaccia with pumpkin.
This time, though, I wanted to put my flower-shaped cutter from Tokyo to good use, so I came up with this spring version topped with cherry blossoms cut from sweet potato. Pepper and rosemary also show up on focaccia in Italy, but since I love cooking Indian food too, ajowan came to mind, and I think it pairs beautifully with Mediterranean flavors. I also added chia seeds, which I generally love in bread. Both of those can be omitted though.
What do you need for the sweet potato focaccia?
Ajowan is an Indian spice, also known as carom seed, with a flavor reminiscent of thyme and anise. It’s traditionally used in India to season bread, too. It’s said to have all kinds of healing properties, but above all, it’s delicious. Ajowan should be used sparingly, since the flavor is very intense. You can find it in Asian grocery stores. I’d really encourage you to give this spice a try, I sometimes add it to Mediterranean noodle dishes as well. But it’s not strictly necessary for the sweet potato focaccia.
- Sweet potatoes
- Spelt flour, I use spelt 630. You can of course also use wheat flour 405 instead. You may need to adjust the flour-to-water ratio slightly.
- Fresh rosemary
- Pink peppercorns, mainly for the look. If you don’t have any, you can use black or mixed peppercorns instead for the sweet potato focaccia.
- Chia seeds for extra crunch and extra omega-3
- Ajowan is an Indian spice, also known as carom seed, with a flavor reminiscent of thyme and anise. It’s traditionally used in India to season bread, too. It’s said to have all kinds of healing properties, but above all, it’s delicious. Ajowan should be used sparingly, since the flavor is very intense. You can find it in Asian grocery stores. I’d really encourage you to give this spice a try, I sometimes add it to Mediterranean noodle dishes as well. But it’s not strictly necessary.
Pink Pepper Sweet Potato Focaccia
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 360 g flour
- 1 sachet of dry yeast
- 240 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds optional
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ajwain optional
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- more olive oil
- 1/2 medium sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon pink pepper
- more sea salt
- more olive oil
Instructions
- First, gather all your ingredients and prepare them in the right amounts. That makes it so much easier and more fun and you're less likely to forget anything.
- Combine flour and dry yeast in a bowl with water, oil, chia seeds, salt, ajwain and maple syrup. Knead for 10 minutes.
- Pour a little olive oil into a big bowl and over your hands to avoid the dough from sticking and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and let it rise for about one hour in a warm place, for example the warm oven. Around 30°C/ 85°F is a good temperature.
- Slice the sweet potato and cut out blossoms with a cookie cutter. You can chop the leftovers and add them to the dough when kneading it again or freeze them for the next delicious soup.
- After one hour, the dough should have doubled. Punch it to remove the air, then knead again with oiled hands and form a focaccia.
- Spread it on parchment paper. Pour more olive oil over the focaccia and poke holes with your fingers to create pools for the oil and the spices. Add the sweet potato decoration, rosemary and sea salt.
- Let it rest another 20 minutes and preheat your oven in the meantime to 210°C/ 410°F.
- Then bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Crush the pink pepper with a mortar.
- Once it's ready, sprinkle with a little more olive oil and pink pepper and cut into pieces, I find it easiest with a pizza cutter.
- I like my focaccia best fresh from the oven or the next morning for breakfast roasted in a skillet.
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I substitute pink peppercorns with something else?
Yes, black pepper works as a substitute for the sweet potato focaccia if you don’t have pink peppercorns on hand, though the flavor will be sharper and more classically peppery rather than the fruity, slightly sweet note pink pepper brings. Red pepper flakes would give a completely different, spicier result, so I’d stick with black pepper as the closest swap.
Can I use regular wheat flour for the sweet potato focaccia instead of spelt flour?
Yes, that works just as well. You may need to adjust the flour-to-water ratio slightly.
What can I use instead of the sweet potato flower cutouts?
You can simply slice the sweet potato thinly if you don’t have flower-shaped cutters on hand. It’ll look a bit simpler, but won’t make any difference in flavor.
If you love focaccia you might also enjoy my Za’atar Focaccia.
