Halloween Focaccia with Marshmallow Spiderwebs
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This no-knead Halloween focaccia is made with black cocoa powder, melty chocolate chips, and marshmallow spiderwebs for a fun fall dessert.
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.
- 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
Serving: 1 slice (of 16)Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 224mgPotassium: 91mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 2mg
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