This no-knead Halloween focaccia is dyed with black cocoa powder. Chocolate chips are folded into the dough to balance the bittersweet cocoa, and melted marshmallows are stretched over the top to create spooky spiderwebs for a fun fall dessert.
Midnight Black Chocolate Chip Focaccia
As a Halloween-lover, I wanted to make a spooky dessert that felt a little different. So naturally, my brain went straight to sweet focaccia. I created this Halloween focaccia to still be chewy like bread rather than cake, with crispy olive-oil-fried edges. And you can make it with a same-day rise or let it slowly rise overnight in the fridge, depending on what works best for your schedule.
During recipe testing, I found that 1½ cups of water left the dough too stiff to mix the cocoa in evenly, which gave it a marbled look. Adding just 2 tablespoons more water made the cocoa much easier to incorporate without turning the dough unmanageably sticky.
Then chocolate chips get folded into the middle of the dough so there's plenty of gooey melted chocolate in every bite. This helps balance the bittersweet black cocoa, which also has a smoky flavor that makes the marshmallows taste like they've been roasted over a campfire! I also tested chocolate chips sprinkled on top (like I do for my chocolate peanut butter focaccia), but that left dark patches all over the spiderwebs.
If you've ever made Rice Krispies treats or marshmallow spiderwebs before, you already know that warm marshmallows get ridiculously sticky in about two seconds. I tested using gloves, but the marshmallow stuck to them and I ended up wasting more than I wanted. A little butter rubbed over my fingers worked much better and made it easier to pull the marshmallow into thin, wispy strands. Just clear your workspace before you start because those sticky little webs have a way of finding everything nearby.
My Notes on Key Ingredients
- Black Cocoa Powder: I tested this both with black food coloring and black cocoa powder to make it look like a spooky Halloween night, and black cocoa powder was the obvious winner for its added chocolate flavor. Unsweetened or Dutch processed cocoa powder work, but your focaccia will bake up dark brown instead of black.Â
- Marshmallows: One full cup of marshmallows is the ideal amount to create a fun patchwork of spiderwebs over the loaf without covering it completely and losing the contrasting black color underneath. I tested vegan marshmallows and unfortunately they just don't have the same stretchiness, and formed really chunky blotches.Â
- Chocolate Chips: I don't recommend skipping the chocolate chips, since they add necessary sweetness to balance the bittersweet cocoa powder. Milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips work best.
Let's Bake Black Cocoa Focaccia!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
My Tips for Adding Marshmallow Cobwebs on Focaccia
- Work quickly to add your marshmallow spiderweb topping within a few minutes, since it'll harden as it cools and become less stretchy.Â
- Marshmallows sticks best to cooled focaccia if you spread them over the surface then press the ends into the edges of the loaf. And I recommend spreading the marshmallows at different angles, including across the corners, to look like actual cobwebs and not a messy clump of goo.Â
- After a day the marshmallow webs still look cool, but they melt into the bread and look more like icing. So if you're making this for a Halloween party, serve it the same day you baked & decorated it.
Halloween Focaccia with Marshmallow Spiderwebs
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Focaccia Dough
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water (between 105-115°F or 40-46°C)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup black cocoa powder, sifted
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
Filling and Topping
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup marshmallows
Instructions
Mix, Stretch-and-Fold, and Rise
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it's foamy on top. (If it's not foamy, check your yeast packet, as it might be expired.)
- Stir 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and vanilla extract into the foamy yeast mixture.
- Add the flour, black cocoa powder, and salt and mix for a minute with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it forms a soft, sticky dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 1: Use your hand to scoop a handful of dough from underneath, up one side, up out of the bowl as far as you can stretch it without tearing, then fold it over itself on top. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat another stretching of the dough up and folding over itself. Repeat rotating the bowl and stretching & folding the dough twice more, until you've completed four stretch-and-folds.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 2: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 3: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 4: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 1 hour until it doubles in size and looks bubbly on top.
Shape, Fill, and Proof
- Spread 4 tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom and up the sides of a 9x13 baking dish.
- Dump the dough from your mixing bowl onto the center of the baking dish and press it down flat into all the edges and corners.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the dough.
- Coil Fold: Pick up one of the short edges and fold the dough in half. Then pick up the dough out of the baking dish, rotate it 90 degrees, and place it back down in the dish. Gently press it out again to all the edges.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until the dough has really puffed up and jiggles when you shake the baking dish.
Dimple and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
- Coat your fingers in olive oil then use your fingers to dimple the dough. Aim to have your fingers spread out by 1-inch and press all the way to the dish, like you're playing the piano.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until it's puffed up and reaches an internal temperature of at least 190°F (88°C). Cool for at least 30 minutes before adding the marshmallows on top.
Decorate with Marshmallow Spiderwebs
- Put the marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds to soften the marshmallows. Give them a stir (they should look creamy now) then let them cool briefly until you can handle them.
- Lightly coat your fingers in butter or olive oil. Grab a large pinch of the marshmallow fluffy and stretch it with your fingers between your hands to pull it apart. It should look stringy, like spiderwebs.
- Place the stretched-out marshmallows onto the top of the focaccia, and continue with all the marshmallows, making the spiderwebs cover the focaccia in an uneven pattern. Slice and serve!
Notes
- Overnight Rise: After mixing, let the dough sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then cover the bowl and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. Skip the stretch and folds and go straight to spreading the dough into the greased baking dish, then give it 3-4 hours to proof instead of 2 hours. In my testing, the overnight dough tore a little more easily around the pecans, so handle it gently and pinch any holes closed so no pecans are left exposed in the oven.
- Cocoa Powder: You can swap unsweetened or Dutch processed cocoa powder, but your focaccia will bake up dark brown, not black. I get my black focaccia powder online here. Make sure you sift it to avoid clumps.
- Baking Tip: To avoid a gummy center, I recommend using a kitchen thermometer to check the doneness of your bread. It's already black, so you can't rely on the color. It should reach at least 190°F (88°C) before you pull it from the oven.Â
- Equipment: Use a metal baking dish for the crispiest edges. A ceramic dish works too, but metal + olive oil gives you those classic crisp, olive-oil-fried focaccia edges, even with the chocolate twist.
Nutrition
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