Rosemary, Tomato and Garlic Focaccia

Focaccia is the perfect example of love and passion in Italian bread making. Deliciously crispy on the outside and so soft on the inside, this focaccia recipe is a meal itself.  If you've just started baking, this recipe is perfect for beginners too.

---

Makes 1 large Focaccia 

Ingredients

• 400g of strong white bread flour 
• 270g of warm water  
• 3g of dried yeast 
• 12g of sea salt
• EVO Olive oil 
• 1 tomato finely sliced 
• 3 garlic clove (each one halved with the skin on)
• ¼ small bunch of rosemary

Method

1. To start pre-measured all of the ingredients. 
2. In a bowl add the warm water and the dried yeast and with one hand mix well until all the the yeast dissolves. Now add all the flour plus salt and mix well for 5 minutes, until there are no more bits of dry flour and it forms a very shaggy dough. 
3. With a dough scraper transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface making sure there is no dough or flour left inside the bowl and start kneading the dough with the palms of your hands. The dough will be a little wet but do not worry and do not add any flour, be energetic and a little fast with your kneading movement. The slower your kneading movement, the stickier your dough will be on the table. Help yourself with the scraper to bring back the dough together while kneading it and to take off the sticky dough from your hands! Knead for about 6-7 minutes (be patient with this process, the dough will be a little sticky but bear with it and you will have a perfect result).
4. Once the dough it's nicely kneaded and elastic, help yourself by using only the scraper to bring the dough all together. Brush a tbsp of olive oil all around the bowl, transfer the dough inside and cover. Let it rest for 45 minutes.
5. TIP. We suggest to keep the dough in a warm and wet environment for the best result. Usually in bakeries is often used a dough proofer which is a warming chamber used to encourages fermentation of dough by yeast through warm temperatures and controlled humidity. You can do the same at home leaving the dough inside your oven or microwave at 25-27°C with a cup full of hot boiling water inside to help to create humidity. Cover the dough at all time and once you put the cup of boiling water inside the oven or microwave do not open it until next step so you won't loose any of the humidity and warm temperature. Change the water in the cup with new boiling water every time you open the oven for the next step. ​
6. Every 45 minutes, come back to the dough and complete a set of Stretch & Fold with a total of three sets. To Stretch & Fold the dough, wet your hand with a little bit of water and grab the dough at one side, lift it up, and fold it over on top of itself. Fold the dough four/five times, moving clockwise from the top of the bowl. After the last set, cover and rest once more for 30 minutes.​
7. Line a large oven dish (40 cm x 25 cm) with baking paper and drizzle with 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
8. Gently place the dough into the dish and with a with wet hands carefully stretch it out. Don’t force it or you might deflate the dough. If it doesn’t stretch out easily, let the dough relax for another 15 minutes and try again then cover the dough with a plastic bag or a tea towel and let it rest for 20 min. 
9. Now take the dough a press your fingers into it to make dimples. Place the tomato slices, the halved garlic cloves and the sprigs of rosemary on top and press the ingredients into the dough. Drizzle with olive oil on top and sprinkle same sea salt all over. Let it rest for another 15 min.
10. Turn the oven on to  230°C (fan) and place a small baking pan or a deep tray at the bottom of the oven.Once the oven reach the temperature put your focaccia in the middle of  the oven and straight after add half glass of cold water into the small baking pan at the bottom and quickly close the oven. This will produce steam which helps the bread to rise.
11. ​Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
12. Once the focaccia is out of the oven, drizzle some more EVO olive oil on top and let it cool down on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before enjoying. 

Back to recipes