I stole this recipe for Tomato Herb Focaccia from The Taste of Home Cookbook who stole it from Janet Miller from Indianapolis, IN. This yeast bread is actually very easy to make. The bread dough is seasoned with garlic powder and Italian herbs. After rising, the dough is form on a baking sheet where it is brushed with olive oil and topped with sliced tomatoes. Tomato Herb Focaccia is a great bread to serve with an Italian meal or as an appetizer.
Did you know? Focaccia is an Italian bread that begins by being shaped into a large, flat round that is brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.¹ (see more trivia in the Trivia tab)
In a large measuring glass, dissolve 1 package (¼ oz) active dry yeast in 1 cup warm water.
Combine 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp crushed rosemary, ½ tsp dried basil,a dash of black pepper and 1 ½ cups flour in a large bowl.
Add 1 tbsp oil and yeast mixture, beat until smooth.
Stir in remaining 1 cup 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 the dough down. Cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into 13×10 inch rectangle; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
While dough is rising, thinly slice 2 plum tomatoes.
Preheat oven to 400 F. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough.
Brush dough with 1 tbsp olive oil; arrange tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with ¼ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese and 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cut into pieces.
Tomato Herb Focaccia
Ingredients
- 1 package (¼ oz) active dry yeast
- 1 cup water 110 F to 115 F
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp each dried oregano, thyme and rosemary, crushed
- ½ tsp dried basil
- Dash pepper
- 2 to 2 ½ cups AP flour
- 2 plum tomatoes thinly sliced
- ¼ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
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In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 tbsp oil, salt, sugar, seasonings and 1 ½ cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
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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.
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Punch the dough down. Cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into 13x10 inch rectangle; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 400 F. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough. Brush dough with remaining oil; arrange tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack.
Recipe Notes
I leave the water in the measuring cup after I heat it in the microwave. Stir in the yeast into the water in the measuring cup and let it sit for 5 minutes. The yeast blooms better in the measuring cup instead of placing it in a large bowl that might be too big for the water to completely cover the bottom of the bowl. You can use 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning instead of the 1 tsp thyme and 1 tsp rosemary (I didn’t have either in the house). I shape the dough directly on the baking sheet, instead of risking tearing the dough when I move the rectangle from the counter to the baking sheet. You don’t need to use a rolling pin, just form it with your hands.