Cheeseburger Focaccia
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Cheeseburger focaccia is made with easy no-knead dough topped with tomatoes, pickles, cheddar, & spiced ground beef for a family-favorite weeknight dinner.
Equipment
Ingredients
FOCACCIA DOUGH
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups warm water (between 105-115°F or 40-46°C)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
TOPPINGS
- 5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup pickles, diced
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups)
BURGER SAUCE
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons pickles, diced
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Mix the Dough and Let it 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.)
- Add the olive oil and stir it into the foamy yeast mixture.
- Add the flour & 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 kitchen towel 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 kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 2: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 3: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 4: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 1 hour until it doubles in size and looks bubbly on top.
Shape and Proof the Dough
- Spread four tablespoons of the 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 into all the edges and corners.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough has really puffed up and jiggles when you shake the baking dish.
Prepare the Toppings
- Strain the canned diced tomatoes through a fine mesh sieve. Leave it over a bowl to continue straining out the juice for at least 20 minutes.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cook, breaking apart the beef into small pieces, until it’s browned. Set aside to cool for a bit.
Add the Toppings and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Spread the strained tomatoes and diced pickles over the dough. Spoon the cooked ground beef evenly on top, then top with shredded cheddar.
- Generously coat your fingers in olive oil (don't skip this, or else the dough will stick all over your fingers.) Use your fingers to press dimples into the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until the focaccia is puffed up and golden brown. (You should be able to see some parts of the bread under the toppings. Otherwise a toothpick or knife inserted into center should come out clean.)
Top with Burger Sauce
- In a bowl, combine the burger sauce ingredients until it’s creamy. Drizzle over the focaccia, then let it cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Rise: The real secret to a good rise under all these toppings is a full second proof in the baking dish. I proof mine in the oven (turned off, light on) for a warm, draft-free spot that speeds up fermentation. It's ready when the dough reaches the top of the dish, bubbles start forming on top, and it jiggles when you gently shake the pan.
- Serving: Slice it right in the pan with a serrated knife into big squares, then run a fork or small spatula along the sides and underneath to release each piece without tearing before transferring to a plate.
- Overnight: I usually make this same-day with the stretch-and-folds, but an overnight fridge rise works great too. Just skip the stretch-and-folds entirely, pop it in the fridge right after mixing the dough, then proof it longer the next day (closer to 3-4 hours).
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (of 8)Calories: 658kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 26gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 1237mgPotassium: 435mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 524IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 242mgIron: 5mg
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