The prettiest pink and most marvelously magenta no-knead beet-a-licious focaccia! The beets add a sweet earthiness and it’s brined-before-baked making for a perfectly chewy-on-the-inside and crispy-on-the-outside focaccia that’s full of fabulously colorful flair! 

If you’ve been following my Instagram adventures lately, you know I’ve been quasi obsessed with making beet-a-vicious focaccia ever since I laid eyes on Carolina Gelen’s fab creation! Been experimenting with all sorts of focaccia making ways; from how it’s made, to what it’s made with (to fermenting times and more. And this unofficially yet very rigorous focaccia research let to me Samin Nostrat & Diego making Ligurian focaccia on Netflix.

That fabulous color is au natural and from roasted and pureed beets. Gotta love that natural coloring agent that’s beet juice! Sometimes the hue is pinker. Sometimes it’s more purple. That’s what happens when ya work with a natural coloring agent; the exact shade is a bit variable but always fabulous!

Ingredients

For the Beet Puree

• 4 roasted, cooled, and skinned medium beets
• 1/4 - 3/4 cups water

For the Dough

• 2 ½ cups lukewarm water
• ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2½ teaspoons honey
• 5 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
• or 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 10-11 tablespoons olive oil (for dough, pan and finishing)
• Flaky salt for finishing

For the Brine

• 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• ⅓ cup lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon White Vinegar

Topping

• 2 tablespoon Spice Tribe Porcini Paradiso
• Spice Tribe Pink Peruvian Salt, to taste

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Directions

1. Chop roasted and skinned beets and puree beets in ablender, adding water 1-2 tablespoons at a time untilthe mixture is completely smooth. Measure out 1.5 cups andset aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine water, yeast, and honey; stiruntil dissolved. In a large bowl, whisk together flour andsalt. Add the yeast mixture, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and1.5 cups of beet puree. Stir until flour is just incorporated.The dough will be very wet, and no kneading is necessary.Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Leave out at roomtemperature to ferment until at least doubled in volume;12 -14 hours (rising time will vary considerably dependingon the season).
3. When ready to bake, spread 2-3 tablespoons of olive oilonto an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Using aspatula or your hands, gently fold the dough onto itself andtransfer it onto the prepared pan. Pour an additional 2tablespoons of olive oil over the dough and gently stretch it tothe edge of the sheet by placing your hands underneathand pulling outward. The dough will keep shrinking, sorepeat and stretch once or twice over the course of 30minutes until it’s fully stretched out and completely coversthe pan.
4. To dimple the dough, use oiled fingertips and press thepads of your first three fingers in at an angle.
5. To make the brine, stir the salt, water, and vinegartogether until the salt has dissolved. Pour the brine overthe dough to fill dimples and set aside at roomtemperature for the final proof, until the dough is light andbubbly, about 45 minutes.
6. 30 minutes into this final proof (15 minutes beforebaking), adjust the oven rack to the center position andpreheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a baking stone, place iton a rack. Otherwise, invert another sturdy baking sheetand place it on the rack. Allow to preheat with the oven untilvery hot, before proceeding with baking.
7. When ready to bake, sprinkle focaccia with 2 tablespoonsof Spice Tribe Porcini Paradiso and Pink Peruvian salt, totaste (remember there’s also salt in the brine)
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, directly on top of stone orinverted pan, until the bottom crust looks golden brownand crispy. To finish browning top crust, place focaccia onthe upper rack and bake for 5 to 7 minutes more.
9. Remove from the oven and brush with 2-3 more tablespoonsof olive oil over the entire surface. Let cool for 5 minutes(the oil will absorb into the bread as it sits). Serve warm orat room temperature.