Our Products Garden Advice Recipes Growing Guide Where to Buy

Spring Eats: Fresh Pesto Focaccia

10 November 2025
Spring Eats: Fresh Pesto Focaccia

Basil

Basil is the perfect star ingredient for fresh pesto. Blended with pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, and olive oil, the fresh sauce captures the brightness of the season in every spoonful. When spread over or served alongside warm, golden focaccia, the pesto’s vibrant herbal notes meet the bread’s soft, salty richness, creating a beautifully balanced contrast of freshness and depth.

 

Fresh Pesto Focaccia

Serves: 4
Proving time: 2+ hours
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the focaccia:

  • 500g (4 cups) strong bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 7g (1 sachet) of instant yeast
  • 350ml warm water
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
  • Flaky salt or coarse sea salt (for topping)

For the Basil Pesto:

  • 2 cups of fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • A pinch of coarse sea salt

To serve

  • Toasted pinenuts
  • Fresh basil leaves

Method:
For the focaccia:
  1. In a large bowl, mix warm water and yeast. Let this sit for about 5 minutes until starting to foam.
  2. Add flour and salt. Mix with a spoon or your hands until you get a shaggy dough.
  3. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and knead (by hand or with a mixer) for about 8–10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and slightly sticky.
  4. Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.
  5. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
  6. Generously oil a baking tray (about 30×40 cm / 12×16 in).
  7. Gently transfer the dough onto the tray. Stretch it out with your fingers until it covers most of the surface.
  8. Cover and let rise another 30–45 minutes until puffy.
  9. Preheat oven to 220 °C.
  10. Drizzle the top of the dough with olive oil.
  11. Using your fingertips, press deep dimples all over the surface — this is key to classic focaccia texture.
  12. Sprinkle generously with flaky salt and drizzle with olive oil.
  13. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on top.
  14. Move to a wire rack to cool
For the Basil Pesto:
  1. Traditionally, pesto is made with a mortar and pestle. Crush the garlic with the coarse salt until it forms a smooth paste.
  2. Add the pine nuts and grind until creamy.
  3. Add the basil leaves a handful at a time, crushing them with a gentle circular motion to release their essential oils without heating the leaves
  4. Add the cheeses and mix until combined.
  5. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while mixing gently to emulsify. Don’t overwork it—pesto should be slightly coarse, not a purée.
To serve:
  1. Spread your fresh basil pesto on the focaccia and top with extra toasted pinenuts and fresh basil leaves as desired.

Our Handy Tips

If using a food processor, pulse the ingredients gently and avoid overheating (you can chill the blade beforehand).

Wait until the focaccia cools before topping, to keep the fresh colour.

To keep pesto vibrant green, avoid over-blending and store it with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation.

Eat this on its own, or as a sandwich stuffed with mortadella, provolone and sun-dried tomatoes

You may also be interesed in...