I love making homemade focaccia. What’s not to like about delicious olive oil bread, crispy on the base, soft and airy in the middle and topped with sweet, aromatic tomatoes and Parmesan. I think breads like this one should be celebrated, they’re packed full of flavour, bright colours, are super simple to make and taste amazing! This focaccia recipe is the taste of summer but can equally be enjoyed with a big bowl of homemade minestrone soup when the cold weather arrives. Every single flavour works hand in hand, the sweet tomatoes with the fruity Parmesan and delicious herbs really create an authentic Italian taste.
The recipe was inspired by my time in Tuscany this summer. We tried this focaccia from a local panetteria near to where we we’re staying. We’d just got off our flight and were pretty hungry after an early wake up that morning (2 a.m and NO breakfast!). So by lunch time I was completely and utterly ravenous to say the least! But this focaccia caught my eye straight away. We continued to buy it for our lunch most days it was that good. So I knew as soon as I got back into my kitchen, I needed to recreate it!
This focaccia from my kitchen has exactly the same characteristics. Unbelievably soft and airy inside, with a subtle crispiness from the fragrant olive oil. A thin layer of Parmigiano-Reggiano, a layer of the sweetest tomatoes and then finished off with a good sprinkling of herbs.
Ingredients:
500g (3 and 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon) strong white bread flour
7g (1 packet) fast action dried yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
50ml (3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
300ml (1/2 pint) warm water – make sure it isn’t boiling
Toppings:
25g grated Parmesan (or another vegetarian alternative)
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
A few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary
Method:
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour. Add the yeast to one side and the salt to the other. Add the sugar and then mix to combine.
- Mix together the water and oil and then add the flour. Using a wooden spoon mix together until a soft and sticky dough comes together. Then lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough by hand until smooth and elastic for 10 minutes. You can also knead the dough in an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes.
- Once kneaded, lightly oil a bowl and add the dough. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size – this will take around an hour.
- When doubled in size lightly grease a baking tin (approx. 22cm x 32cm) with olive oil (1-2 tablespoons). Add the dough and press out into the tin until even – it doesn’t need to look perfect! Cover the tray and again leave in a warm place until doubled in size. (45-60 minutes approx.)
- Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Sprinkle the focaccia with the grated Parmesan and then poke the tomatoes into the dough. Sprinkle with the oregano and sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes then scatter over the thyme leaves and rosemary. Finish baking the focaccia for a further 5-10 minutes until it’s well risen and lightly coloured. Once the bread sounds hollow, remove from tin and cool on a wire rack. Cut up into squares and enjoy!
Enjoy!
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miam miam..
Looks yum! x
oohh YUM! I love focaccia but have never made it. Maybe a project for this weekend 🙂
Focaccia is probably my greatest bread weakness. I can never resist getting a big loaf and eating it all! Love this version with the tomatoes on top. So summer perfect!
Looks great Jessica! I also love breads, and will definitely be trying this one out! 🙂
How good would this be with a glass of wine and a few good friends? SO GOOD! Great recipe, it certainly does look addictive!
Foccacia is one of my FAVORITES! This would go so good with any pasta dish!
More Italian recipes, yay! Love the focaccia… and these amazing tomatoes on top! Is it easy to find them in standard stores?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE focaccia – it’s one of my favorite things to make. Great addition with the tomatoes, it’s a perfect summer recipe!
Foccacia by itself sounds intimidating to make at home but you make it seem so easy! Looks delicious I love any bread that is coated in olive oil 🙂
This bread looks amazing, Jessica! I actually just made a parmesan foccacia bread that will be on my blog next week. But yours looks beautiful! I love the tomatoes on it!
Oh wow! Your focaccia looks awesome Jess. Thanks for sharing.
Yummo that looks delicious – love the simplicity.
You describe my perfect foccacia so well with the crispy edge and the soft, aerated filling. The tomatoes are so good peeping out from the top too. 🙂
I love focaccia.. this bread looks amazing with crispy edges & nice and soft center.. I love that you added tomatoes and parmesan on top.. looks perfect! 🙂
This focaccia looks amazing, Jess! What a delicious way to get the Fall baking season started. 🙂
It certainly looks good. Trying it out on the guinea pigs… I mean guests tonight.
Hi John – I hope you enjoyed the focaccia! 🙂
This looks amazing, Jessica! I have been trying to cut down the amount of gluten in my lately but I have to admit that focaccia is one of my weakness that I would totally still make. I love your version with all the tomatoes and herbs. 🙂
This is gorgeous! I’ve never made bread before, and I want to give this a try 🙂
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never made focaccia at home! It’s been on my must-try list forever but I just never get around to it! This looks soooo good!
If this was the kind of food you were eating in Tuscany, I need to go there ASAP!
I shouldn’t have read this after just waking up, I’m now rather hungry. Looks delicious Jess!
Jess this is just GORGEOUS!!!!! I’m a focaccia fan alllll the way and I can’t wait to make this! Yours turned out so beautifully!!! I’m loving the sweet tomatoes and Parmesan combination!!!! I can imagine the sheer delight you must have felt whilst biting into that focaccia after starving for so long!!!!!!!
This looks so good and I LOVELOVELOVE your photos from your vacation!!
Oh, Jessica, it really does look as if you got this perfect! I love soft focaccia with that slight crispiness on the outside. And I could almost taste those tomatoes as you described them … mmmm! I want this for lunch every day this week, too!!
Wowwww
Mouth-watering focaccia
I can almost smell the wonderful aroma, and I’d definitely like a huge slice. 🙂
I am adding your recipe to my “make focaccia” pile. I have been collecting recipes since I took a focaccia/ciabatta class from Zingerman’s Bakery awhile ago. This looks absolutely delicious. 🙂
Looks so good, I definitely need some of this!
This focaccia looks better than the local bakery! I need this in my life, yum!
wow looks great , love focaccia and this recipe of your sounds great…
Truly mouthwatering! Every single photo is a gorgeous work of art! Fabulous post – pinning for sure! 😀 ~Shelley
This looks so delicious! i had something similar in Venice once and it was actually one of the nicest things I’ve ever eaten 🙂
Jess, everytime I see you post something, I wanna run to the kitchen and make it too! Looks so good!
I think this focaccia I could eat in any moment, perfect for breakfast, great for a lunch with a salad, nice for a picnic, wonderful for a summer dinner in the garden ! Jess your focaccia is just great 🙂
Gorgeous focaccia bread! I am loving the tomatoes and the parm! Pinned!
I love homemade bread and your recipe is just beautiful!
So lovely and light looking, such a clean and simple recipe x
Yum, I am suddenly in the mood for some focaccia! This looks so delicious!
Holy cow, this looks incredible! I love that you used fresh and seasonal ingredients–I’m sure it tasted amazing.
I want, I want and I am so making it this weekend. Yum
Now I am going to bookmark this for my my tomatoes come out in full force.
Oh, this is fabulous Jess! Love the tomatoes on top 🙂
Mmmmm homemade focaccia is the best! I want to reach through my screen and tear into yours! It’s beautiful!
Stunning!!!
This looks so amazing! Fresh bread is definitely worth the extra effort.
This is delicious! I will prepare this evening for my partner. Thank you very much
Made it to your recipe plus a bit of garlic. Excellent. Served it at a party. It disappeared. Now making another one for my neighbour. How do I describe it. Very ‘moreish’. Which simply means. “Making you want to eat more.”
Many thanks. xx
Hi John – thank you for stopping by my blog! I’m glad the focaccia was a hit and you enjoyed it so much. 🙂