Tomato and Basil Foccacia

-Makes 2 loaves
Golden, crispy crust with wells of fruity olive oil - yes, I am talking Focaccia. Foccacia was born to feed dock workers in Liguria and is still a popular breakfast for Ligurians. The secret to good focaccia has always been good olive oil and plenty of it. The oil gives it a beautiful fruity flavor and lends it a crisp crust. I am sharing the recipe for plain tomato and basil focaccia below (one of my favorites!). Please feel free to add more flavorings to the same basic dough to create your own wonderful flavors.

Ingredients ​for Foccacia

350 g water
2 teaspoons (7g) dried instant yeast or 20 g fresh yeast, crumbled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
500 g strong white flour (bread flour)
1.5 teaspoons sea-salt, plus extra for sprinkling
2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary, leaves only, tossed in a tablespoon olive oil
12-14  tomatoes on the vine, halved
25-30 Italian basil leaves 
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Tomato and Basil Focaccia Recipe Video

​​​​​Recipe 
  1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Place the flour in a bowl, add a tablespoon of oil followed by yeast mixture. Using a spoon, mix to form a soft dough. Lightly flour a work surface and transfer dough on to the work surface. Sprinkle 1.5 teaspoons sea-salt on dough and knead well for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. You can also add chopped herbs at this point to make flavored focaccia. (You can also use your stand mixer to do the mixing)
  2. Split the dough into two equal portions, place in a large well greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and rest in a warm place for 1 hour until it has doubled in size.
  3. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons oil evenly onto two baking trays. When dough is ready, use a spatula to release it from the sides of the bowl and then drop it into the trays. Pour an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil over dough and gently spread across. Gently stretch the dough to the edge of the trays by placing your hands underneath and pulling outward. 
  4. Next, using three fingers (index finger, middle finger, and ring finger) poke the dough all over to make multiple holes. Place a basil leaf in each hole and then  a halved tomato on top of each leaf. 
  5. Sprinkle oiled rosemary or thyme leaves all over. Cover both baking trays with a damp tea towel and let rest in a warm place for another 30-45 minutes. Once rested, sprinkle with some more sea-salt all over before baking.
  6. Preheat your oven to 200˚C, and bake focaccia for 20 minutes until golden brown.
  7. Remove and immediately drizzle 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil all over. Leave to cool slightly, then cut into squares before serving.
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