Pumpkin Focaccia (vegan)

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You only need a few ingredients to make this incredible, soft, chewy, bubbly, herby pumpkin focaccia bread! It is made using the stretch and fold method so there is no kneading and very little hands-on time required!

This focaccia is the perfect accompaniment to Autumn soups and stews, but it's so good that you could happily just eat it on it's own!

Slices of pumpkin focaccia with bowls of olive oil and salt.

Focaccia is one of my absolute favourite breads to make, it is relatively low effort for very high reward and it is such a versatile, flavourful bread.

This pumpkin focaccia is my new obsession, it is easy to make and has an incredible soft, light, bubbly texture with a crisp, almost fried bread exterior. Flavourwise it isn't overtly pumpkin-y, but the pumpkin puree does give it a little extra flavour boost and helps ensure a perfectly soft texture, as well as giving it a beautiful bright colour.

I make it using the stretch and fold technique which is very easy to do, and doesn't involve kneading the dough.

What Is The Stretch And Fold Technique?:

Stretch and fold is a technique to develop the gluten and strengthen the dough without kneading it. As this is a very high-hydration dough it is very wet and sticky and would therefore be difficult and very messy to knead. As the stretch and folds are performed in the bowl it is a much easier and less messy method for developing wet doughs.

In this method, the dough is stirred together until it is mixed, but it is not kneaded. Instead, you cover the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes then perform the first set of stretch and folds - wet your hands then pick up a side of the dough, lift it to stretch it, and fold it over the top. Repeat this, turning the bowl as you go, until you have performed about 8-12 stretch and folds.

Cover the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes then repeat the stretching and folding. Do this for a total of 5 times, resting the dough for 15 minutes in between each. You should start to feel the dough become stronger and more resistant to stretching.

This process only involves a couple of minutes of hands-on time and very little mess.

A labelled photo of the ingredients needed to make pumpkin focaccia.

Ingredient Details:

Tinned pumpkin puree: You need to use pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. It is available from many larger supermarkets in the UK, or online. Alternatively you can make your own by roasting and pureeing pumpkin or butternut squash.

Bread flour: You need to use white bread flour (called strong white bread flour in the UK). Plain/all-purpose flour has too low a protein content and won't give you the right texture. Do not use gluten-free flour or wholemeal flour.

Yeast: I always prefer to use instant yeast when making bread as it can just be added straight to the flour and doesn’t need to be activated first. See below for instructions if you only have active dry yeast.

Olive oil: Use a good quality olive oil for the best flavour, I use extra virgin in both the dough and to drizzle on top.

Salt: Salt is important in bread making for the flavour, colour and crust. I use fine sea salt or table salt in the dough, then sprinkle the focaccia with flaky sea salt just before baking. The extra sprinkle of salt is optional, the salt in the dough is not.

Herbs: Pumpkin goes really well with rosemary and sage so that is what I used. Thyme or oregano would also work well. Fresh herbs are best but you can absolutely use dried herbs instead if that is all you have.

How To Make Pumpkin Focaccia:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Step 1: Mix together the pumpkin puree, water and olive oil then stir in the yeast, salt and bread flour to make a sticky dough. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Step 2, a two image collage of performing the stretch and folds.

Step 2: Perform the first set of stretch and folds - wet your hands and pick up a side of the dough, stretch it, and fold it over the top. Repeat this, turning the bowl as you go, until you have performed about 8-12 stretch and folds. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Step 3, a two image collage of performing the stretch and folds.

Step 3: Repeat the stretching and folding process 4 more times, letting the dough rest for 15 minutes in between each.

Step 4: Once you have done a total of 5 rounds of stretch and folds, cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise until doubled in size.

Step 5: Grease a lined baking tray and scrape the dough out onto it. Oil your hands and stretch the dough out to almost fill the tray.

Step 6: Cover and leave to rise until the dough has spread and is really bubbly and jiggly.

Step 7, the dough topped with herbs and olive oil before baking.

Step 7: Scatter the dough with chopped fresh herbs. Oil your hands then prod the dough at regular intervals with your fingers, pushing all the way through to the bottom to create dimples. Drizzle with olive oil, letting it pool in the dimples and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Step 2: Bake for 20-25 minutes until nicely browned and crisp.

Pumpkin focaccia on a white surface with fresh herbs and bowls of olive oil and sea salt.

Top Tips:

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

Focaccia dough should be quite wet and sticky; this in combination with a hot oven is what creates the chewy, holey structure. Don’t be tempted to add more flour!

Make sure that your yeast isn’t out of date! Old yeast can lead to bread that doesn’t rise.

Always wet your hand before performing the stretch and folds to help prevent the dough from sticking to you.

The rising time of the dough will vary depending on how warm it is; on hot days it will rise much faster than on cold ones.

You can vary the toppings to suit you. I like to keep it simple with just some chopped herbs, but you could use caramelised onions, thin slices of roasted pumpkin, olives, tomatoes, sliced garlic cloves, pumpkin seeds or vegan cheese.

If you want a pumpkin spice flavoured focaccia, don't add spices to the dough as that can inhibit the rise; instead, I would melt some vegan butter (about 3 Tablespoons) and add a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin spice blend and drizzle that over the dough instead of the olive oil.

FAQ's:

Can I bake pumpkin focaccia in advance?

Unfortunately focaccia goes stale quite quickly so I don’t recommend making it in advance, it ideally needs to be eaten on the day it is baked. It will still be good for the next day or two, but will benefit from being warmed through in a low oven before serving to refresh it.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, make sure the loaf has cooled completely first and freeze it on the day it is baked to preserve freshness. Freeze in a sealed freezer bag, either whole or in slices.

I only have active dry yeast, how should I use it?

I always use instant yeast (also called easy bake yeast) when I am baking bread as it doesn’t need to be activated in liquid first, you can just add it straight to the flour. I highly recommend buying instant yeast if possible.

If you are only able to get active dry yeast then you can still use it but the method will be a little different. Use 10g (3 tsp) of active dry yeast and stir it into the lukewarm water. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes until it has become bubbly then add the rest of the ingredients and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.

Can I make it gluten-free?

No, I’m afraid that you cannot use gluten free flour. Making gluten free bread is tricky and the entire recipe would need reworking. Gluten free baking is not my area of expertise so I cannot advise you. It is best to use a recipe that is designed to be gluten free rather than trying to adapt a non gluten free recipe.

How should I serve pumpkin focaccia?

This pumpkin focaccia is the perfect accompaniment to any kind of soup or dip. Or slice it in half widthways and use it to make sandwiches.

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