Tomato Focaccia
Gorgeous summer tomatoes meet bubbly focaccia, crispy parmesan, & fresh herbs in this ridiculously easy loaf. The simplest, most delicious way to celebrate tomato season.
Servings: 1 loaf
Equipment
- Baking sheet or 13x9-inch pan
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (420 grams) warm water about 100-120°F
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cups (480 grams) bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon (1 package) instant yeast
Toppings
- 2+ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ~12 ounces fresh tomatoes*
- salt & pepper
- a few sprigs fresh rosemary
- ½ cup parmesan grated on large holes of box grater
Instructions
- Mix dough: In a large bowl, whisk together 420 grams warm water, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 1 Tbsp salt. Add 480 grams bread flour and 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast, mixing to form a shaggy dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- 1st stretch-and-fold: Perform stretch & folds to build tension and structure in your dough. With damp hands, gently stretch one side of the dough upward, then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides.Cover it back up and rest another 30 minutes.
- 2nd stretch-and-fold: Do a second round of stretch & folds, then cover and rest an additional 30 minutes. At this point, the dough has been resting and fermenting for a total of an hour and a half. It should feel hydrated, a little sticky, and a bit bubbly.
- Shape the dough: Use 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil to generously grease a baking sheet (or 13x9 inch pan). You can use parchment paper on the bottom if you like, but it isn't necessary. Use your fingers to spread the oil evenly over the pan. Scoop the dough out onto the prepared pan. With oiled hands, gently stretch and press the dough into a rough rectangle. It doesn't need to fill the pan by any means at this point, just stretch and thin it out a bit.
- Rise: Cover the dough** and allow to rise for 1 - 1 ½ hours, or until it has grown significantly. It should be very puffy, with tons of cute bubbles all over.
- Preheat oven to 425° F
- Dimple: Use your fingers to dimple the dough all over, pushing all the way through the dough to the pan while being careful not to tear the dough.
- Add toppings: Drizzle some more olive oil over the dough and decorate with tomatoes. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a bit of salt and pepper. Add rosemary and grated parmesan, if using.
- Bake: Place bread in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown on top and bottom, about 30-35 minutes.Cool on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
*Tomatoes: Use your favorite tomatoes for this focaccia! If using cherry tomatoes, you can slice them in half or leave them whole if they're small. If using large tomatoes, slice them about as thin as you can with a sharp serrated knife. I prefer to use a mix of colorful heirloom slices and sweet cherry toms. You'll need either a couple big tomatoes or one pint of cherry tomatoes for this.
**Covering the dough during rising time: I like to cover my dough with a second rimmed baking sheet - it works perfectly. If you don't have one, you can use plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking oil or olive oil or a damp kitchen towel.