Tomato Focaccia
Delicious Italian Tomato Flatbread
Even the Romans were familiar with focaccia. They called it “panis focacius”—bread baked on the hearth. This popular Italian yeast bread is often topped with olives, cheese, tomatoes, or garlic oil and eaten for breakfast or as a snack. There are also sweet versions with honey or nuts. The small triangular sandwiches from the Turin area—called tramezzini—are made in a very similar way. For these, fine white bread without the crust is used.
Ingredients
For the dough:
550 g flour
350 g water
1/2 cube fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the topping:
½ can ORO di Parma cherry tomatoes
1 handful of pitted black olives
100 g sheep’s milk cheese
1 tsp thyme
4 tbsp olive oil
For the garlic oil:
1 tbsp softened butter
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 basil leaves for garnish
Step 1 : The Focaccia Dough
First, prepare the focaccia dough: Dissolve the yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. Then, place the flour in a large bowl and use a tablespoon to make a small well in the center of the flour. Pour in the yeast mixture and let it sit until it becomes slightly foamy. Now knead the dough mixture together with a little salt. While kneading, gradually add the olive oil and continue kneading for about 10 minutes. Now place the yeast dough on a floured work surface and knead it for another 3–4 minutes. The dough now needs to rise for about an hour. To do this, place it in a mixing bowl, cover the bowl with a dish towel, and set it in a warm place.
Step 2 : Topping the focaccia
First, drain the ORO di Parma cherry tomatoes in a large colander and dice the feta cheese. Slice the olives. Once the dough has risen to about twice its original size, sprinkle some flour on the work surface, knead the dough vigorously one more time, and roll it out to a thickness of about 2 centimeters. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully transfer the dough onto it. Use your finger to press small indentations into the dough about 5 centimeters apart. This will allow the aromatic garlic oil—which you’ll prepare in the next step—to pool in them later. Now it’s time to top the focaccia: Distribute the black olives, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and fresh thyme over the dough.
Now cover the focaccia with a clean dish towel and let it rise for another half hour. Then bake the bread for about 20–25 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 °C until golden brown.
Step 3 : Garlic Oil
While the focaccia is in the oven, you can prepare the garlic oil. You'll use it to brush the focaccia later. To do this, pour the olive oil into a small bowl, squeeze the garlic into it, and mix the two together. Add the softened butter and salt, and mix everything well.
Step 4 : The Finale
When the focaccia comes out of the oven, it's best to brush it with the garlic oil right away and garnish it with basil leaves. This delicious bread tastes best when it's warm. Così gustoso!
Tip
FOCACCIA IS PERFECT FOR BARBECUES
Focaccia tastes delicious with grilled foods in the summer and can also be topped with ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and Parmesan.
Ingredients
For the dough:
550 g flour
350 g water
1/2 cube fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the topping:
½ can ORO di Parma cherry tomatoes
1 handful of pitted black olives
100 g sheep’s milk cheese
1 tsp thyme
4 tbsp olive oil
For the garlic oil:
1 tbsp softened butter
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 basil leaves for garnish
