This recipe came along thanks to an erroneous batch of boiled potatoes—specifically those of the Arran Victory variety from growers An Garraí Glas, the most sought-after spuds in Connemara. Chef Jess Murphy decided to press the potatoes into a tray of focaccia dough. Brushed with a pesto made from foraged ramps, the bread quickly became one of her best-selling loaves. The focaccia’s airy structure comes from a series of folds that bolster gluten formation while the dough ferments. If you don’t have access to ramps, an equal amount of basil leaves (or whichever soft herbs you like) will also work. Covered with a thin layer of oil, the pesto will keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to five days or the freezer for up to one month.
Featured in “Meet the Women Changing the Way Western Ireland Eats” by Victoria de Silverio in the Spring/Summer 2026 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 206.
Recipe excerpted from The Kai Cookbook: A Love Letter to the West of Ireland by Jess Murphy (Nine Bean Rows).
Ingredients
For the pesto:
- 3½ oz. ramps, stemmed
- 1¾ oz. parmesan, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. pine nuts
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the focaccia:
- 3½ cups plus 2 Tbsp. bread flour
- 1⅛ tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 11 oz.)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky salt
Instructions
- Make the pesto: In a food processor, pulse the ramps, parmesan, and pine nuts to coarsely chop. With the machine running, slowly add the oil and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Make the focaccia: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together the flour and 1⅔ cups of lukewarm water until fully combined, about 2 minutes. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, after 20 minutes, in a small bowl, whisk together the yeast and 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of lukewarm water. Set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and knead until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Add the kosher salt and continue kneading until the dough is elastic but still wet and sticky, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
- With the bowl of dough in front of you, use your hands to reach under the edge farthest from you, then grip and lift the dough up and toward your body to fold it in half. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Continue rotating the bowl 90 degrees and folding the dough two more times for a total of four folds. Cover with a kitchen towel, set aside to rest for 10 minutes, then repeat. Continue resting and folding the dough twice more for a total of four sets of four folds each. By the final fold, the dough will be tighter and bubbly. Cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
- Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, 25–30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut into bite-size chunks. Transfer to a medium bowl, toss lightly in oil, and season to taste with kosher salt.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment, then generously oil the paper. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and lightly stretch into an even rectangle (it may not reach fully to the sheet’s edges). Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Lightly stretch the dough again, then scatter the potatoes on top. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes more.
- Bake until the focaccia is crisp and golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Immediately transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool. Brush with the reserved pesto, sprinkle with flaky salt, cut into strips, and serve warm or at room temperature.
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