Fluffy Focaccia with Tomatoes and Onion

A light and airy focaccia with tomatoes and onion. It makes beautiful bread to eat all on its own!

This is a super easy recipe to make by hand and it yields a really light focaccia bread. It’s based on this easy focaccia bread recipe but with a change of toppings.

Focaccia bread comes in many forms, but ultimately it is a yeasted flatbread. Depending on what region of Italy it comes from it can be thin, or thick and fluffy, savory or sweet. Make a basic focaccia recipe made from flour, yeast, water, oil, and salt. The toppings and flavors can vary. 

This focaccia with tomatoes and onions is a bit like a pizza but much thicker and fluffier. Top with cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, and fresh rosemary. Lastly, sprinkle with flaky salt.

The ingredients

For this cherry tomato and onion focaccia, you will need.

• Flour – Use bread flour or all-purpose flour. Check the protein level, a flour with a protein level of at least 11% is best.
• Water  – Use a lot of water. This focaccia bread is around 82% hydration. Traditional kneading is a bit hard, so a stretch and fold method will be used.
• Salt – The salt adds flavor and strength to the gluten. Salt is also added later as a topping.
• Yeast – instant yeast or an active dried yeast can be used. This will create a rise in bread. 
• Olive oil – Lavishly coat the dough in olive oil before baking. This creates a fried crust on the outside and adds wonderful flavor.
• Cherry tomatoes – These blister in the oven and become really juicy
• Red onion – The outer edges of the onion crisp up nicely in the oven.
• Garlic – This brings delicious flavor.
• Fresh rosemary – Add before baking, or fresh rosemary can be sprinkled on after baking. The rosemary taste is a little milder when baked.

Focaccia bread in a cast-iron skillet

For best results, bake the focaccia in a cast-iron skillet. This creates the best ‘fried’ crust on the focaccia bread, for the best flavor.  

A 12inch / 30cm cast iron skillet fits this dough. Alternatively, use a 9 x 13inch / 23x33cm baking tray.

Focaccia bread toppings

There are many different ingredients to top focaccia bread with. You could try

• Rosemary. A simpe classic, with plenty of flaky salt.
• Rosemary and kalamata olives.
• Thinly sliced potatoes with fresh thyme
• Caramalised onions
• Pesto and parmesan
• Tomatoes, olives and capers.
• Roasted red peppers and feta
• Asparagus spears
• Peaches and fresh thyme.
• Cherry tomatoes, basil and burrata
• Artichoke hearts

Step by step instructions

The dough

• In a bowl combine the yeast, water, flour, and salt and mix together to create a wet and well-combined dough. Leave it to sit for 15 minutes before applying 4 sets of stretch and folds spread out over an hour, one set every 15 minutes.
• A stretch and fold method is when one side of the dough is stretched up and pulled over itself. The bowl is then turned and this move is repeated on the following side. Continue stretching and folding and turning the bowl until all sides have been folded. That is one set of stretch and folds.
• The first set of stretch and folds will be very shaggy and the dough will rip easily. By the last stretch and fold there will be a significant difference in texture and the dough should be able to stretch up quite high and feel strong. 

Proofing

•  Coat an 12inch / 30cm cast iron skillet or a 9 x 13inch / 23x33cm baking tray with olive oil. Tip the dough into the oiled skillet. Leave it to sit and rest for 5 minutes, then use oiled fingers to spread the dough out into the skillet. Proof at room temperature for around 1 to 1.5 hours until it has doubled and it jiggles when the skillet is shaken. 

Topping

• Preheat the oven. Drizzle more olive oil over the focaccia, then use oiled fingers to create deep dimples in the dough, pushing all the way down. Do this all over the bread. 
• Top the focaccia with sliced garlic, pushing the garlic into the dough. Repeat withe sliced onion and rosemary, then top with sliced cherry tomatoes.
• Sprinkle with flaky salt.
• Bake the focaccia until puffed and golden brown. Remove it from the oven. Carefully remove it from the skillet. Let it cool on a tray for at least 15 minutes before serving. 

Serving

Serve the focaccia as is, or as a side to the main meal. Use it to make sandwiches or to mop up pasta sauces and soups.

Store leftover focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing instructions – Tightly wrap the focaccia and freeze for up to three months.