This pumpkin focaccia bread is the perfect homemade bread for fall! It's crunchy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside, with a gentle sweetness from the pumpkin and a colorful topping of bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and red onion.
Jump to:
Say hello to your new favorite homemade bread recipe! More specifically, pumpkin focaccia. My freezer is currently packed full of this deliciousness and I can't stop eating it. And I don't plan on stopping for as long as pumpkin season is around!
It also happens to be accidentally vegan. Like most classic focaccia, the dough is just flour, water, yeast, salt, and a generous pour of olive oil, so there's no butter, milk, or eggs to swap out. Nobody at the table will notice anything missing.
Focaccia is the perfect bread to make if you're new to baking. It doesn't require any fancy techniques or ingredients, and there's no kneading or shaping into loaves. The hardest part of the process is probably waiting for it to rise. But the patience pays off when you get to dig into a huge slice of pillowy deliciousness. And of course, it will make your kitchen smell amazing.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pumpkin. The pumpkin purée is what makes this focaccia extra special, giving it a golden color, a soft crumb, and a subtle sweetness. I made pumpkin purée from scratch using roasted pumpkin, but canned pumpkin works too (see the tips below). Choose a sweet pie pumpkin rather than a large carving pumpkin, which tends to be watery and bland.
- Flour. Plain all-purpose flour gives you a soft, tender focaccia. Bread flour also works and makes the crumb a little chewier. You can swap part of it for whole wheat flour, too (see Variations).
- Yeast. Because the yeast is mixed straight into the flour, instant yeast is the easiest choice. If you only have active dry yeast, stir it into the water with the maple syrup first and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
- Maple syrup. Just a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup helps feed the yeast and brings out the pumpkin's natural sweetness. Brown sugar or agave syrup can be used instead.
- Olive oil. Good extra virgin olive oil is the star of any focaccia. Some goes into the dough, and the rest pools in the dimples and crisps up the bottom and edges as it bakes.
- Vegetable topping. Sliced bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, zucchini, and fresh chives make a pretty, garden-style topping. Use whatever veggies you have, just slice them thinly so they cook through in the oven.
- Salt and dried thyme. A pinch of flaky sea salt over the top right before baking makes a big difference, and dried thyme adds an earthy, savory note that plays nicely with the pumpkin.
How to Make Pumpkin Focaccia Bread
Make the pumpkin purée
Pumpkin purée is very easy to make from fresh pumpkin. Start by preheating the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Cut the pumpkin in half just beside the stem, then remove the seeds and cut it in half once again. You can now peel it using a vegetable peeler, and cut it into small, bite-sized pieces.
Drizzle the pumpkin with olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until fully softened. Next, transfer it to a blender or food processor and blend until a smooth purée forms. Let it cool until just warm before adding it to the dough, since very hot purée can kill the yeast.
Make the pumpkin focaccia dough
Mix together the flour, salt and yeast. In a different bowl, combine lukewarm water, the pumpkin purée, and maple syrup. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until thoroughly combined. At the end, mix in the olive oil. The dough will be soft and sticky, and that's exactly what you want.
Now, transfer the dough to a large rimmed baking tray lined with parchment paper, and stretch it into a large rectangle. Cover with cling film and allow to rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours, until roughly doubled in size.
Dimple and allow to rise again
Drizzle more olive oil on the focaccia and dimple the dough using your fingers by pressing them almost all the way through. Allow to rise for 10-15 minutes more. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Top and bake
Now the fun part: decorating the focaccia! Arrange the bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, zucchini and fresh chives on the focaccia. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and dried thyme, then bake for 22-25 minutes, until crispy on the outside and golden brown.
Helpful Tips
Use canned pumpkin if you're short on time. Roasting the pumpkin from scratch yields the best flavor, but canned pumpkin purée works perfectly well. You'll need around 10 oz (about 1 ¼ cups) for the full focaccia. Just make sure it's plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
Be patient with the rise. The dough needs a few hours to double, and a warm kitchen speeds things up while a cool one slows it down. If you want, you can even leave it to rise overnight in the fridge, or while you're at work. Let chilled dough sit at room temperature for about an hour before dimpling and baking.
Let a stand mixer do the work. This is a wet, sticky dough, so mixing it with a wooden spoon takes a bit of elbow grease. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, then add the olive oil and mix briefly.
Pick the right pan. A large rimmed half sheet pan (about 18 x 13 inches) is ideal, since the rim keeps the olive oil from running off and gives you crisp, golden edges. For a thicker, fluffier focaccia, divide the dough between two 9 x 13-inch baking pans instead and add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Weigh the ingredients. As for all baking recipes, I would recommend weighing the ingredients, as this will achieve the best and most accurate result. Scooping flour straight from the bag can pack in far more than you need and leave you with a dense, dry bread.
Variations
- Change up the herbs. Fresh rosemary and sage are both fantastic with pumpkin. Press whole sage leaves or small rosemary sprigs into the dimples before baking, or swap the dried thyme for Italian seasoning.
- Try different toppings. Roasted pumpkin cubes, thinly sliced red onion and garlic, halved cherry tomatoes, olives, or a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds all work well. For a sweet-and-savory twist, skip the vegetables and top with sage, a drizzle of maple syrup, and flaky salt.
- Use whole wheat flour. Replace up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor. Whole wheat absorbs more liquid, so add an extra splash of water if the dough feels stiff.
- Add cheese. If you're not keeping it vegan, a handful of grated parmesan or crumbled feta over the top before baking is delicious. A good vegan parmesan works too.
- Make it gluten-free. This dough relies on regular wheat flour, so for a gluten-free version, try our gluten-free focaccia and add the same pumpkin-friendly toppings.
Serving Ideas
Pumpkin focaccia is made for soup season. Serve thick slices alongside a bowl of lazy roasted pumpkin soup for a double dose of pumpkin, or with a hearty Tuscan kale soup or lentil soup with butter beans for dunking. It's also lovely next to a lighter pumpkin cauliflower rice soup.
It's also a showstopper on a fall snack board. Cut it into small squares and pile them next to sliced apples and pears, grapes, olives, spiced nuts, and your favorite cheeses or vegan cheeses. Add a bowl of good olive oil with balsamic vinegar for dipping, some soft garlic confit for spreading, or a jar of pumpkin seed pesto.
Leftovers make great sandwich bread, too. Split a square in half and fill it with roasted vegetables, hummus, and greens, or toast it and top it with avocado for an easy lunch.
Storing & Freezing
Pumpkin focaccia is best on the day it's baked, but leftovers keep well. Store it covered at room temperature for up to a day, or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm slices in a 180°C/350°F oven for 5 minutes to bring back the crispy crust.
To freeze focaccia, cut it into portions, then arrange on a baking tray and freeze for an hour. Next, transfer the pieces to freezer-friendly zip lock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow to thaw at room temperature for an hour, then warm in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
If you love this pumpkin focaccia, check out these other delicious bread recipes:
- Focaccia with tomatoes is a favorite of mine.
- One bowl pumpkin bread is a sweet fall classic.
- Olive oil skillet bread is a must-try!
- Savory cornbread is a perfect side dish.
- Cinnamon bagels are perfect for breakfast.
- Zucchini bread is easy and delicious.
If you give this pumpkin focaccia a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@ohmyveggies) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback in the comments below together with a star rating! I love hearing from you.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Baking sheet large rimmed half sheet pan
- Stand Mixer optional
- Cling film
- Conventional oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb pumpkin, around ½ a medium pumpkin - choose a sweet pumpkin variety for this recipe
- 5 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 5 cups flour
- 2 tablespoon yeast, instant yeast, or active dry (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus flaky sea salt for sprinkling
- 2 cups water, lukewarm
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ large yellow bell pepper, sliced
- ½ large red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- ½ cup mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup zucchini, sliced
- fresh chives, small bunch
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Cut the pumpkin in half just beside the stem, remove the seeds and cut it in half once again. Peel it using a vegetable peeler, then cut it into small, bite-sized pieces.1 lb pumpkin
- Place the pumpkin on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until fully softened.5 tbsp olive oil
- Transfer the pumpkin to a blender or food processor and blend until a smooth purée forms. Let it cool until just warm.
- Mix together the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. In a different bowl, combine the lukewarm water, pumpkin purée, and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until thoroughly combined (or mix with the dough hook of a stand mixer on low speed for 3-4 minutes). At the end, mix in 2 tablespoon olive oil. The dough will be soft and sticky.5 cups flour, 2 tbsp yeast, 1 tsp salt, 2 cups water, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 5 tbsp olive oil
- Transfer the dough to a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and stretch it into a large rectangle. Cover with cling film and allow to rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours, until roughly doubled in size.
- Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil over the focaccia and dimple the dough using your fingers, pressing them almost all the way through. Allow to rise for 10-15 minutes more.5 tbsp olive oil
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Arrange the bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, zucchini and fresh chives on the focaccia. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and dried thyme.½ large yellow bell pepper, ½ large red bell pepper, ½ cup mushrooms, ½ cup zucchini, 1 tbsp dried thyme, fresh chives
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, until crispy on the outside and golden brown. Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Janene says
This looks yummy.