Give Homemade Focaccia A Kick With This Spicy Korean Condiment

When it comes to making homemade focaccia, there are many mistakes you can make when baking the Italian bread. There are also many flavorful ingredients you can add to focaccia that aren't a mistake whatsoever. High-quality olive oil, olives, flaky sea salt, and roasted red peppers are delicious but common options to add to focaccia. Then there's a Korean condiment that should make its way to your next batch for a spicy kick. We're hinting at gochujang.

For those who haven't tried gochujang (yet), the spicy Korean condiment is a chili paste made of red chilis, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt, and sometimes a few other ingredients. The result is a thick paste that's spicy, salty, and even a tad sweet. Focaccia has a relatively bland flavor without toppings, which is why the gochujang works so well for those who like lots of flavor. To pull off the focaccia with a Korean twist, you can mix gochujang into the dough directly or evenly spoon some on top of the bread before it goes into the oven.

To try this Korean-Italian bread, start with our easy homemade focaccia recipe. A little gochujang goes far because of its complex flavor profile, so only add up to a ¼ cup to the batter if that's how you want to add the condiment to the bread. For more spice, add a squirt or two of sriracha into the dough. If you want to add the gochujang on top for spice at the start of each bite, begin with a few spoonfuls and be sure to spread it evenly for balanced bites. You shouldn't need to adjust the rest of the recipe, but consider the salt that you add to both the batter and the top of the bread because there's a decent amount in the condiment already. For baking purposes, our focaccia recipe is done in 20 minutes in an oven set at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are plenty of toppings that will pair deliciously with gochujang if you want to take the bread further. Lean into Korean cuisine even more and add your homemade kimchi to the top of your focaccia for spice and tang. If you like cheesy focaccia, add some shredded mozzarella or sharp cheddar cheese into the dough. Other easy options inspired by Korean staples are to top the gochujang focaccia with black or white sesame seeds, sliced scallions, chili crisp, or add crumbled bacon for a meaty touch.