Focaccia is one of my favourite breads. It’s so versatile, you can top it with a variety of flavours, and best of all it’s the perfect bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It is one of those breads that you can just sit and work your way through the whole loaf with a group of friends, chatting, dipping and enjoying every bite. Add some olives and a few glasses of wine and it’s a perfect night! This Tomato & Rosemary Focaccia is inspired by my love of fresh aromatic rosemary and juicy sweet cherry tomatoes. I go through two punnets of little tomatoes every week – I eat them with everything! Focaccia bread is also vegan friendly as it’s not made with any animal products, so everyone can enjoy this delicious bread!
Step by step…
I put the strong white bread flour, yeast, salt and fresh rosemary into a bowl. After stirring it together, I added the water and olive oil to bring the mixture together into a dough.
Using my food mixer with the dough hook attachment, I left it to knead for 10 minutes. You can also do this by hand if you prefer. I placed the kneaded dough into an oiled bowl covered with cling film and put it in a warm place to prove for 1 hour.
After the hour was up, I knocked the dough back and pressed it out onto a baking tray with a lip. I pressed the cherry tomatoes into the dough. I covered it loosely with cling film and a tea towel and left it to prove for 1 hour.
Once the hour was up I sprinkled more fresh rosemary, and some coarse sea salt over it before putting it in the oven to bake until golden.
This Tomato & Rosemary Focaccia is salty, soft and full of fresh tomato and rosemary flavour. It’s perfect for dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
| Baking tray | Mixing bowls | Cooling rack |
| Kitchen scales | Silicone mat | Fast action yeast |
| Stand mixer |
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More Focaccia recipes…
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| Rosemary & Garlic Focaccia | Potato & Halloumi Focaccia |
Tomato & Rosemary Focaccia
Italian olive oil bread with rosemary and cherry tomatoes
Ingredients
- 500 g Strong white bread flour
- 7 g Sachet fast action yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp Fresh rosemary Finely chopped, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 325 ml Lukewarm water
- 1 tsp Coarse sea salt For sprinkling
- 19 Cherry tomatoes Cut in half
Instructions
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In a large bowl, add the bread flour, yeast, salt and rosemary. Make sure to add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, then stir together
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Add the water and olive oil to the flour mixture and bring it together into a dough
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Knead by hand, or use a food mixer with the dough hook attachment, for 10 minutes
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Put the kneaded dough into an oiled bowl covered with cling film, leave it in a warm place to rise for 1 hour
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Knock the air out of the risen dough, then press it out onto a lipped baking tray (I used a Wilton Non-Stick Cookie Pan 15.25 x 10.25 Inches)
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Press the cherry tomatoes into the dough, spacing them evenly apart
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Cover with loose oiled cling film and a tea towel and leave to rise again for 1 hour
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Pre-heat your oven to 200C Fan/220C/425F/Gas Mark 7
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Before baking, sprinkled more fresh rosemary, and some coarse sea salt over the dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden
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Allow to cool, slice and serve, or serve warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It also freezes well
If you like this, check out more of my Bread recipes!
Pin for later!
Oh yum! I love foccacia too but don’t make it or other bread anywhere near enough. I’ll have to change that soon! This looks so tasty x
Thank you! I stopped making bread for a while but I’m getting back into it now!
The foccacia looks so, so good!
I’d have loved to try this out, but I’m not very good at baking. 🙁
I’m sure you could make this, it’s a really easy bread to make!
I love yeast bread but hardly ever make anything with yeast as it takes too long and I am so impatient in the kitchen! Pinned and stumbled your lovely recipe!
Thank you! I know what you mean, but it is so worth it in the end!
OMG that Foccacia loaf looks prefect. I love home made bread and you are so right sharing foccia with friends with some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping is divine. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thanks Jacqui! I’m glad you’re a fan of dipping in oil and balsamic too!
Such a beautiful looking foccacia, Kat! I made a tomato foccacia before, but not as pretty as this. I know for sure that this tastes amazing! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party, Kat. x
Thank you Jhuls!
Beautiful Focaccia Kat! I do love it with all sorts of toppings and yours so beautifully dressed with tomatoes and rosemary can definitely make a meal in itself! Nothing else but a lovely balsamic & olive oil dip required! Perfection! x
Thank you Jo! I agree, it’s so tasty on it’s own!
This looks beautiful.I have tried a few times with foccacia but it lacked enough flavour.I will have to try yours.I absolutely love baking bread sometimes I have to stop whatever i am doing and get some going!!!
Thanks Jenny! I like it with plenty of salt prinkled on top and dipped with balsamic it’s such a good flavour!
Never met a focaccia I didn’t like, but yours is particularly gorgeous! You lined those tomatoes up with military precision!! Happy FF!!
Mollie
Thank you! I do like to be neat haha! 😀
I LOVE foccacia and this one sounds delicious :-D. I love the toppings you’ve chosen. So pretty too! Eb x
Thanks so much Eb!
I love focaccia and yours looks absolutely delicious. It’s such a great idea to use tomatoes on it 🙂 Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays.
Thanks Mel! I am so obsessed with cherry tomatoes I love them with everything 😀
Yum! I’ve just got into baking bread recently, definitely need to try some foccacia next!
Yay baking bread is so fun I’m glad you’ve gotten into it!
This looks so tempting. Focaccia is such a great bread….. seeing this reminds me it was on my ‘to do’ list to work on a decent GF version (most of the ones I have tried have been nasty!) x
I have no doubt you’ll make an amazing GF version!
This looks delish!! And I’m admiring the precision involved in the placement of the tomatoes! I’d be ok with two rows, then I’d good up, then my ADD would take over and the second half would be totally random, lol!!
Mollie
Haha, I am a bit of a neat freak when it comes to my bakes so this really satisfied me 😀