Corn Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Focaccia (Same Day Recipe)

Corn jalapeno bacon focaccia slices on a wooden board.

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Corn Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Focaccia (Same Day Recipe)

I think I unlocked the holy grail of focaccia! This Corn Jalapeño Bacon Cheddar Focaccia is everything you want in a homemade bread: soft, cheesy, a little spicy, and full of flavor. Sweet corn adds texture, jalapeños bring gentle heat, and crispy bacon ties it all together.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Rise Time4

Total Time4 50

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian, Seasonal

Servings: Slices

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $15

Equipment

9x13 Baking pan or large rimmed baking sheet - Affiliate Link
Kitchen Scale - Affiliate Link

Ingredients

For the Base Dough

3¾ cups All purpose flour - 500 grams
2 tsp Kosher salt - 10 grams
2 tsp Instant yeast - 7 grams
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil - 28 grams
1¾ cups Lukewarm water - 415 grams

Filling Mix

2 Corn on the cob
4 Bacon strips (cut into pieces)
5 Green onions (chopped)
1 Jalapeno (minced)

For Greasing the Pan

1 tsp Butter
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Remaining Toppings

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Shredded aged cheddar

Instructions

Mix the Focaccia Dough. In a large bowl, combine 3¾ cups All purpose flour, 2 tsp Kosher salt, 2 tsp Instant yeast, 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil and 1¾ cups Lukewarm water. Mix using a fork, wooden spoon or Danish whisk until well combined and a shaggy dough forms. The flour should be fully hydrated. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Fold. Wet your hands and perform a stretch and fold. Grab the dough from one side, gently pull up and fold it over. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Repeat 2 more times. As you do this, try to scrape down any dough stuck to the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat. Repeat the stretch and fold process. At this point, the dough should be much smoother. Rest for another 30 minutes.
Prepare the Filling. While the dough rests, grill 2 Corn on the cob until charred and cooked through, turning regularly, about 9-10 minutes. Fry 4 Bacon strips (cut into pieces) until cooked, but not too crispy, about 6-8 minutes. To a bowl, add the cooked corn kernels, bacon, 5 Green onions (chopped) and 1 Jalapeno (minced).
Add Filling and Stretch & Fold Dough. Add half the filling mixture (reserve the other half for later) to the dough. Wet your hands and perform a stretch and fold. Grab the dough from one side, gently pull up, and fold it over, making sure the filling gets incorporated as you fold. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Repeat. You should have now completed 4 sets of stretch and fold (2 without the filling and 2 with the filling).
Transfer to Pan & Proof. Grease a baking tray with 1 tsp Butter and 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, fold it gently like a letter, then flip it so the seam is on the bottom. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and rest for 1.5 to 2 hours to proof in a warm place. The dough should stretch on its own.
Preheat the oven to 425°F/215°C.
Garnish. If the dough hasn’t spread fully, lightly oil your hands and stretch it gently into the corners of the baking pan. Drizzle 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil and using your fingers, dimple the dough pressing all the way down. Garnish the dough with the remaining filling mixture and 1 cup Shredded aged cheddar. Go over the focaccia one more time with your fingers, pressing the ingredients in.
Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes

Refer to the blog post above for step-by-step recipe photos, tips and helpful advice.

Use a kitchen scale. I have provided US customary measurements, but for accuracy, I recommend that you weigh out your dough ingredients.

Key Ingredient Notes:

Flour: I am using all-purpose flour. It’s easy, it’s readily available, and everyone has it. Bread flour gives a chewier texture, but both work great. If you want to use some whole wheat flour in this recipe, sub out a quarter to a half of the white flour for whole wheat, just like how I do it in my Whole Wheat No Knead Focaccia recipe.
Yeast: I like to use Instant yeast in most of my Baking Recipes, but active dry yeast will work just fine too. Just make sure to bloom it in the water for a few minutes before adding the flour.
Corn: I am grilling corn cobs myself here, but you can totally use frozen fire roasted corn, or even canned corn.
Jalapenos: Diced jalapenos add a little heat. You can remove the seeds and ribs of the pepper to cut back on some of the heat. Or you can simply omit the jalapenos if you are not a fan of spice.
Cheese: I love using aged cheddar in my focaccia recipes. But feel free to use whatever you like. Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or mild cheddar would work too.
Bacon: Try to use thick cut bacon if you can. Cut it into small bite sized pieces before cooking it off. You can of course use any bacon you like, including turkey bacon. Or keep the recipe vegetarian by not using bacon at all.

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