Tomato Focaccia Recipes

FOCACCIA WITH FRESH TOMATOES

Steps:

• To make the sponge, place the yeast and water into a medium sized bowl, and stir to dissolve yeast. Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or your hands for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth, and a somewhat elastic dough has formed. The starter will be thick and stretchy.
• Scrape the starter into a clear container with high sides and cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise.
• At this point you have two options. If you plan to make the dough later the same day, let the sponge rise at room temperature until it has risen to the point where it just begins to indent on top. This may take 6 to 8 hours. It will triple in volume and very small dents and folds will begin to appear in the top of the surface as it reaches its peak and begins to deflate. Make sure to use it before it sinks too much.
• If you are not planning to make the dough until the next day, let the sponge rise for 1 hour after mixing, then place it in the refrigerator and let it rise for at least 14 hours before taking it out to use. Be sure to compensate for the cold temperature of the starter by using warm water in the dough, or let it sit out, covered, until it reaches room temperature.
• To make the dough, place the yeast and water in a large bowl. Stir the yeast so it dissolves, and allow to stand for 1 minute.
• Add the sponge to the yeast mixture, and mix with your hands for 1 minute to break up the sponge. The mixture should be foamy. Add the flour and mix it in with your hands, lifting the wet mixture over the flour to incorporate it. Once the dough becomes a shaggy mass, knead in the bowl for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Add the salt to the dough and knead briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the oil and milk, and knead gently until all the liquid has been incorporated.
• Move the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until it begins to become smooth, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky, so keep the work surface lightly floured.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn the dough to coat it, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until almost double in size, approximately 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• When the dough has risen, loosen it from the bowl with lightly floured hands, and pour it onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces, about 5 1/4 ounces each. Shape the dough into balls and place on the baking sheet approximately 4 inches apart. Brush each piece with olive oil, and press down gently so the bread is more like a disk than a roll. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has almost doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the slices of tomatoes in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes in a decorative fashion on the dough. With your finger tips, press down on the dough in a few places, making impressions where olive oil can gather. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil, allowing it to pool in the dimples. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven, mist the loaves with water from a spray bottle, shut the oven door, and continue to bake. Mist again one minute later.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer, or until golden brown and crusty.
• Remove the focaccia from the oven immediately, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with fresh herbs such as basil if desired. Let cool on a cooling rack.

TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, sugar, and the warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in 4 1/2 teaspoons oil. Add flour and 4 1/2 teaspoons salt; mix on medium-low speed until combined. Fit mixer with the dough hook; knead dough on medium speed until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Loosely cover with plastic wrap; let dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously oil a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Spread out dough to fill sheet, working it into corners. Press in tomatoes; sprinkle with rosemary. Loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap; let rest 30 minutes.
• Drizzle dough with remaining teaspoon oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake 5 minutes. Rotate sheet; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.
• Let cool in sheet; cut into 8 rectangles. If not serving that day, wrap pieces in plastic wrap and foil; freeze up to 1 month.

NO-KNEAD TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon thyme. Add cold water and 1/3 cup oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until a wet dough forms and no dry flour remains. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough quadruples in volume and top appears bubbly, at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
• Pour 1/3 cup oil onto a 12-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Lightly coat your hands with oil on sheet, and scrape dough onto center of sheet. Turn dough to evenly coat with oil, then press to spread in an even thickness to edges of pan. Use your fingers to make dimple-like indentations all over dough. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume (dough should reach top of sheet rim), about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack in lower third. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with garlic, red-pepper flakes, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 2 teaspoons thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle evenly over dough; drizzle with any accumulated juices from bowl.
• Bake until puffed slightly and golden brown on top, 16 to 18 minutes (if top is browning too quickly,tent with foil). Let focaccia cool in pan on a wire rack until warm but no longer hot, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or room-temperature, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2-1/2 cups flour, salt and sugar. Dissolve yeast in water; stir in oil. Add to dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Punch the dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-in. circle. Place on a greased 12-in. pizza pan. Brush with oil. Combine the Parmesan cheese, rosemary, garlic and salt; sprinkle over dough. Arrange onion rings and tomatoes over top, pressing down lightly. , Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges.

TOMATO-HERB FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 tablespoon oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, herbs, pepper and 1-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into a 13-in. x 9-in. rectangle; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough., Brush dough with remaining oil; arrange tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Freeze option: Freeze cooled focaccia squares in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, reheat squares on a baking sheet in a preheated 400° oven until heated through.

TOMATO AND OLIVE FOCCACIA

Steps:

• On a baking pan spread olive oil. Press the pizza dough into the pan until the dough fills pan completely. Cover the dough with a piece of oiled plastic wrap (oiled side down) and allow it to rise, until doubled, up to 1 hour. Scatter tomatoes on risen focaccia. Sprinkle with salt; pepper; oregano; olives and garlic. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Bake the focaccia for about 25 minutes, or until deep golden. Lift the side of the focaccia with a spatula or pancake turner and check the bottom about halfway through baking time. If it is getting too dark, slide the pan onto another pan to insulate the bottom. To serve immediately, slide the focaccia from the pan to a cutting board. If it will be served later, slide it off the pan onto a rack to cool.

BASIL-PARMESAN FOCACCIA WITH FRESH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place the chopped onion in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. After 15 seconds, drain and blot dry with paper towels. Set aside.
• Combine the yeast with the half-cup of water. Add one and a half cups of the flour and mix. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and knead it for about eight minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Pour one tablespoon of the olive oil in a bowl, add the dough, turning once to cover with the oil. Drape a lightly dampened towel over the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk. This will take one and a half hours with rapid-rise yeast, or three hours with regular yeast.
• Punch down the dough, add the onion, a quarter-cup of water, three tablespoons of olive oil, the cup of Parmesan cheese, the remaining flour, the basil and two teaspoons salt, and mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it for eight minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of additional flour if needed.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Roll the dough into a large circle measuring about 15 inches in diameter and about a quarter-inch thick, and transfer it to a heavy cookie sheet. Using your fingertips, make several indentations in the dough, so the surface is irregular. Brush with two tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle on two teaspoons of coarse salt. Bake in the top half of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown and crisp. (You may prepare the recipe ahead to this point, but leave the baked focaccia at room temperature.)
• To prepare the topping, combine the olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Lay the sliced tomatoes in an overlapping pattern on the focaccia and spoon the olive-oil mixture over them. Return the focaccia to the oven for two minutes. Sprinkle with three tablespoons of Parmesan and return the focaccia to the oven just until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about one to two minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into large slices. Serve.

BACON AND TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Prepare the basic focaccia, setting it to rise as in Step 4 above.
• While the dough is rising, fry the bacon until it is golden. Set aside to drain on paper towels. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it coarsely.
• Once the focaccia has risen and has been placed in the pan ready to bake, as in Step 6 above, sprinkle it with the bacon.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Sprinkle the focaccia with the scallions. Slice tomatoes one-fourth-inch thick and arrange them on the surface, over the bacon and scallions. Brush them with the olive oil.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the bottom is browned and the top is puffy and lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper and serve.

TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Generously cover potato with salted cold water (1 teaspoon salt for 3 cups water) in a small heavy saucepan and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and cool slightly, then mash until smooth.
• Stir together warm water and sugar in bowl of mixer. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
• Add potato and 1/4 cup oil to yeast and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Remove paddle attachment and attach dough hook, then beat in 4 cups flour and 1 tablespoon sea salt at medium-high speed until combined well, about 3 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.)
• Transfer to a well-floured surface and knead in remaining 1/4 cup flour with lightly floured hands until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. (Dough will still be very soft and sticky.)
• Scrape dough into a lightly oiled large bowl and cover bowl with oiled plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Generously oil a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan.
• Punch down dough (do not knead) and transfer to baking pan, then gently stretch to cover as much of bottom as possible (dough may not fit exactly).
• Cover dough with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.
• Arrange tomatoes on focaccia (do not overlap), then sprinkle with oregano and remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup oil.
• Bake until center is firm, top is pale golden, and underside is golden (lift to check), 20 to 25 minutes.
• Loosen focaccia from pan with a spatula and slide onto a rack to cool slightly. Cut into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

ONION-TOMATO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• To make the dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and let it sit for several minutes, until it begins to bubble. Put the flour and salt in the food-processor bowl.
• Stir together the active yeast and 2 cups lukewarm water in a spouted measuring cup. With the processor running continuously, blend the flour and salt briefly, then pour in all the liquid through the feed tube and process for about 30 seconds. A soft, moist dough should gather on the blade, with some sticking to the sides of the bowl. If it's very sticky and hasn't come off the sides at all, incorporate more flour, a tablespoon or two at a time, to stiffen the dough and bring it together. If the dough is dry, process in more water in small amounts.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, scraping the bowl and blade clean. Knead by hand for a minute, using as little flour as possible, until the dough forms a smooth round, still soft and a bit sticky. Coat a big bowl with the tablespoon of olive oil, drop in the dough, and turn it to oil it all over. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
• While the dough is rising, toss together the sliced onion, cherry-tomato halves, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, and let them marinate.
• Coat the baking dish or pan, bottom and sides, with 2 tablespoons or more olive oil. Deflate the risen dough, and lay it in the pan. Gently press and stretch it into an evenly flat round that fills the pan. If the dough is resistant, let it relax for a few minutes.
• Lift the marinated onion and tomatoes out of the bowl with a slotted spoon, draining off the juices. Scatter the vegetables all over the focaccia, and lightly press in with your fingertips, creating dimples in the soft dough. Finally, drizzle the marinating oil over the top.
• Let the focaccia rise, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Set a baking stone, if you have one, on a center oven rack and heat to 425˚. Just before baking, gently dimple the dough again with your fingertips, and sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt all over.
• Bake the focaccia for about 20 minutes, rotate the pan back to front for even cooking, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or even longer, until the bread is golden brown and the onion and tomatoes are nicely caramelized.
• Remove the pan and top with remaining olive oil and crumbled oregano. Let the focaccia cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve it warm or at room temperature.