The Elvis Focaccia | A Sweet & Savory, Vegan, No-Knead Tribute to The King
- Ashley Up North
- Apr 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 6
If Elvis made a focaccia, I'm pretty sure it would look like this.
If you're a fan of mixing sweet and savory all in one bite, this Elvis Focaccia is here to rock your taste buds. Inspired by The King’s legendary love of peanut butter and banana sandwiches (it's debated if he included bacon or not, but many "Elvis" sandwiches include it), this focaccia is a unique take on the classic that combines salty, sweet, fluffy, and crispy flavors and textures. And the best part? It’s no-knead and vegan.
What's in This Elvis Focaccia?
A Chocolatey Dough – Though chocolate isn't an ingredient in the sandwich, I use cocoa powder in the dough to subtly complement the peanut butter and banana flavor (it also pairs nicely with the salty and smoky vegan bacon). That being said, it isn't a prominent flavor since it contains cocoa powder, not melted chocolate. Using a dark-colored dough also creates some beautiful color contrasts with the light-colored banana and peanut butter toppings.
Bananas & Maple Syrup – Sliced bananas caramelize beautifully in the oven, enhanced by the deep sweetness of maple syrup.
Butter Instead of Olive Oil – To lean into that classic Southern comfort feel, we swap the usual olive oil for butter, which adds richness and a hint of caramelization. It also complements the sweet components better than olive oil, in my opinion.
Peanut Butter Drizzle – A smooth, velvety, lightly sweetened peanut butter sauce gets drizzled over the top, creating the ultimate dreamy bite that ties everything together.
Crispy Vegan Bacon – For that wonderful salty-sweet fusion (and to add some crunch), the Elvis Focaccia is topped with vegan bacon bits that have been crisped to perfection.
The No-Knead Magic
The best part of this recipe? The dough practically makes itself. A long fermentation process (mostly overnight) develops incredible texture without much effort besides a few stretches and folds. Simply mix, let it rest, do some spaced-out stretches and folds before it goes in the fridge, and let time do the work.
When to Serve It
This focaccia is perfect for:
Brunch – Pair it with coffee and make your start to the day feel extra special.
Dessert – Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or an extra drizzle of that velvety peanut sauce... or both :)
Snack – Cut it into smaller squares and watch it disappear at any gathering.
Elvis Focaccia Recipe
This is not your average focaccia—it’s a tribute to good eats, nostalgia, and making life a little more cozy. So let’s get baking, because this is one of my focaccia recipes that I'm quite proud of! As Elvis would say… “Thank you, thank you very much.” 🎸
Recipe
8 large or 10-12 smaller slices
Ingredients
Dough
385g (385 ml) water
20g olive oil, plus more for greasing the baking pan/dish
60g maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
10g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon salt
45g cocoa powder
400g bread flour (go for one with 12-13g protein per 100g)
Toppings (pre-baking)
3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
2 bananas, sliced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
A few pinches of flaky salt
Toppings (post-baking)
100g vegan bacon lardons, or chopped vegan bacon. I use La Vie lardons.
1 batch of peanut sauce (see below)
Maple syrup, to taste
Peanut sauce
Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend 60g salted peanut butter, 237g/ml of water, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract until smooth. Transfer to a squirt bottle or piping bag if you have one.
Method
Day 1
In a large bowl, Tupperware, or Pyrex container (anything with a lid will do), gently whisk together the water, olive oil, maple syrup, fresh yeast, and sea salt. Then, using a mesh strainer, sift in the cacao powder and bread flour.
Mix all ingredients together until the flour is hydrated, but do not over mix. It’s normal if it’s sticky and looks a little lumpy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down to get all the dough in one lump.
Cover the bowl/container with its lid (place on top, but do not fully close). Let it proof for 30 minutes in the warmest part of your home (I like to put it in an oven that’s been warmed and turned off).
With oiled hands, do one round of stretch and fold*. Let proof for 30 minutes.
With oiled hands, do another round of stretch and fold*. Let proof for 30 minutes.
With oiled hands, do a round of coil fold*, making sure the dough is faced smooth side up. Let proof for 30 minutes.
Rub a drizzle of olive oil on top of the dough. Then seal the lid securely and place the bowl/container in the fridge overnight.
Day 2
Transfer the dough to an oiled baking dish or pan (for the focaccia thickness I like most, I prefer using either a circular 30 cm (12 in) cast iron pan or a rectangular 35 x 24 x 5 cm (13 x 9 x 2 in) cake pan). Cover and let proof for two hours in the warmest part of your home (I like to put it in an oven that’s been warmed and turned off).
Preheat your oven to 220°C or 428°F. I use convection mode, but it depends on the oven.
Once proofed, gently stretch the dough out from the sides if it’s not filling up the entire pan/dish.
Drizzle/brush on the melted butter and dimple the dough with your fingers. Layer on the bananas and brush them with the maple syrup. Then, sprinkle on a few pinches of flaky salt.
On a rack placed in the middle/mid-bottom of your oven, bake for about 25 minutes or until golden.
In the meantime, cook the lardons/chopped vegan bacon. Cook on a lightly oiled or buttered pan until crispy, but not burnt.
When removed from the oven, sprinkle on your vegan bacon and drizzle with the peanut butter sauce to your liking. When serving, I like to add an extra drizzle of maple syrup and even more of the peanut sauce. Enjoy!
NOTES
Refer to my video to see how I do stretch and folds and coil folds:
*Stretch and Fold
"Stretch and fold" is a technique used in breadmaking to develop the gluten, create structure, and strengthen the dough.
How to: With oiled hands, reach under one side of the dough and gently pull it upwards, stretching it away from the rest of the dough. You're essentially stretching one part of the dough at a time. Once stretched, fold the stretched portion back over the rest of the dough. Turn the bowl so that you work your way around the entire dough. For this recipe, you should do about 5-6 stretches and folds per round of "stretch and fold".
*Coil Fold
"Coil fold" is another technique used in breadmaking to create structure and texture in the dough through a form of layering. It also contributes to better crumb and improved rise in the finished product. It's particularly effective for doughs with higher hydration levels or when working with sticky doughs (like focaccia).
How to: With oiled hands, gently raise the dough up from its middle, causing the dough to hang from the sides. Lay the dough onto one of the hanging parts so that it lays under the middle, then lift it again to land on the other hanging part (both parts should connect under the middle of the dough). The dough should be a sort of rectangular shape. Now, let's do the other side. Fold the top edge of the dough to under the middle part of the dough. Fold the other edge of the dough to under the middle part of the dough (both meet under the middle). This should form a neat package. Gently lift the packaged dough and lay it on its side to create two final layers. Lift the entire dough to face the seam downwards in the bowl (smooth side facing up).
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