I was surprised when I read the instructions on Trader Joe’s Focaccia Bread mix. We’re gonna break out the stand mixer and we need to let the loaf rise for 45 minutes to an hour? Well, that’s practically the same amount of work you’d do making it from scratch. So why do I need this mix?
I’ve got two answers for you.
- It makes an 8×8 or 9×9 loaf instead of a 9×13 or half sheet pan.
- It makes that spongy, soft focaccia. As someone who’s tried to make it from a few recipes, some come out like pan pizza dough and others come out soft and spongy. The one that’s worked for me from scratch was a King Arthur recipe.
The one thing about this mix is that there is garlic and onion powder already mixed in to the main flour packet. You can smell it when you put it into the bowl. And you can taste just a hint of it when you eat it. So this isn’t your nonna’s focaccia.
So here’s the dough after rising for an hour in its 8×8 square pan. I only sprinkled on about half of the seasoning packet based on other feedback I’d seen. I know a lot of folks have been wondering if you can make it without a stand mixer. The dough is pretty sticky, which will make kneading it by hand pretty challenging. Even with oiled hands I think it’d be tough, especially with the amount of time you need to knead it. If you try it, let me know.
Here’s the fully baked loaf. My 8×8 pan is getting a little old so I had some trouble getting it out cleanly, even with the 2 T. of oil in the pan. YMMV. I was surprised how much it domed up in the 8×8, so if you want it a little flatter, go with a 9×9 pan.
Here’s the cross-section. You can see it’s a close crumb, soft and spongy, a lot like a grocery store loaf. Still really enjoyable if you want a soft focaccia. And what’s nice about this mix is, the loaf is still soft the next day, after wrapping it in foil. I had a hunk with a bowl of soup the next day and it was none worse for the wear.
Next time I’d probably skip the seasoning packet and put some chopped rosemary and sea salt on top. Would I buy Trader Joe’s Focaccia Bread Mix again? Sure.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
