Tomato Basil Focaccia
One of the best ways to use up those last juicy summer tomatoes…
This focaccia is golden, crispy, fluffy, loaded with sweet seasonal tomatoes, fresh basil from the garden, and plenty of olive oil.
It’s simple, rustic, and versatile.
Ingredients
2 ¼ tsp instant or dry active yeast
1 ½ cups warm water (ideally 100°F-110°F)
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp EVOO for the dough, plus A LOT more throughout the process
3.5 cups flour (bread flour preferred, but you can use all-purpose flour)
2 tsp salt (for baking)
Flaky salt (for topping)
Fresh tomatoes for garnish
Fresh basil for garnish
Equipment: large mixing bowl, 9×13” baking pan, dishcloth to cover
Instructions
To a mixing bowl, add the yeast, warm water, and honey. Stir gently.
If using dry active yeast: Allow to sit ~10 minutes or until the yeast mixture becomes foamy (activated).Add salt, 2 tbsp EVOO, and bread flour to the same bowl.
Mix by hand until you have a sticky dough, or use the dough hook attachment on your mixer and knead on low for a few minutes until you achieve that same sticky dough.Coat the bowl with a little more EVOO, cover and allow it to rise (first rise) for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Generously grease your baking pan with EVOO and transfer the dough, stretching to distribute the dough across the pan.
Set aside and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes (second rise).
With clean fingertips, create dimples in the dough.
Apply another light layer of EVOO and your toppings (tomato, flaky salt).
Do not bake the basil, save for garnish at the end.Bake at 425°F for ~20-25 minutes. Allow to cool ~10-15 minutes before slicing.
