Tadka Focaccia

When I want fresh bread, I make focaccia. It’s a very forgiving dough and can be made from start to finish in one day if you start early enough. I am always in awe of the beautiful Indian-inspired sourdough boules my friend Kusuma Rao makes on Instagram, with ingredients like polenta, turmeric, pepitas, and a mustard seed and curry leaf tadka baked right in. It inspired me to dream up this tadka-topped focaccia loaded with crispy curry leaves, black mustard seeds, white sesame seeds, and dried red chiles. The turmeric in the dough doesn’t add much flavor, but I love the hue it imparts to the final product.

I like my focaccia thick, so I bake it in a 13x9" pan, but use a rimmed baking sheet if you like yours thinner. I keep it thick so I can slice it in half to make sandwiches.