Sun Dried Tomato Focaccia

Airy and light with a golden crust, this sun-dried tomato focaccia will become your new favorite bread. It’s a super easy recipe and one of the easiest bread types to make.

The dough is made by hand, but there’s no kneading involved. The dough is simply stretched and folded over itself to create the structure.

The sundried tomato focaccia dough is a super fun one to work with. It’s like pizza dough, but with much higher hydration. This high-hydration dough is what will form bread with lots of air pockets.

There’s no traditional kneading involved, so you don’t need any arm muscle or stand mixer. The dough is simply stretched and folded a few times to create some structure.

This recipe is based on this fluffy focaccia bread recipe, but with a change of toppings.

Ingredients

Find the amounts of the ingredients in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

• All-purpose flour. A strong all-purpose flour can be used in this recipe. Check the protein level, a flour with a protein level of at least 11% is best. You can also use bread flour, or a mix of both bread and all-purpose flour.
• Water. This dough has very high hydration and a lot of water is used. This focaccia bread has nearly 86% hydration. It makes traditional kneading a bit hard, so a stretch and fold method will be used.
• Salt. The salt adds flavor and strength to the gluten. Flaky sea salt is also added later as a topping.
• Yeast. instant yeast or an active dry yeast can be used. This will create a rise in the focaccia bread. 
• Extra-virgin olive oil. The bread is lavishly coated in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil before it is baked. This creates a fried crust on the outside and adds wonderful flavor.
• Sun-dried tomatoes. Oil-packed, slightly tangy, and salty sun-dried tomatoes are great flavor additions to the focaccia.
• Garlic. Fresh garlic becomes roasted garlic when it’s sliced and baked into the focaccia dough. Press the garlic quite far into the dough so it’s a little protected. This stops it from burning in the oven.
• Fresh rosemary. I can’t quite imagine focaccia without fresh rosemary. It’s a must in my opinion.

Other focaccia topping ideas

• Kalamata olives or black olives and rosemary
• Caramelized onion and goat cheese
• Basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto
• Thinly sliced potatoes, red onion.

Equipment

You will need a baking pan or a cast-iron skillet to bake the focaccia bread in. This recipe is using 9x13inch USA metal baking pan.

Method

In a large bowl combine the yeast, lukewarm water, flour, and salt and mix together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to create a wet and well-combined, shaggy dough ball.

Leave it to sit for 15 minutes before applying around 3 to 4 sets of stretch and folds spread out over an hour, one set every 15 minutes (though this timing isn’t set in stone, don’t worry if it’s less or more! The gluten will also develop too as the dough rests. Stretch and folds just help it along.

It’s a very wet and sticky dough, so do not feel alarmed if it feels sloppy. It will come together as the stretch and folds continue.

Stretch and folds

A stretch and fold method is when one side of the dough is stretched up and pulled over itself. The bowl is then turned a quarter turn 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 time you perform a set of stretch and folds, the focaccia dough will be very shaggy and the dough will rip easily. As the folds are carried out over the next while, the gluten structure is created and the dough gains strength.

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. The dough will also be rising during this period and it will feel airier.

Optional – Resting the dough overnight

If you’re wanting to make the dough in advance, it can be mixed together in step one, given one set of stretch and folds, and then transferred to the refrigerator overnight. Place dough in a lightly greased large mixing bowl. Cover bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.

The following day, transfer dough to an oiled baking tray and carry on with the second rise (instructions below) and dimpling of the dough.

When the dough first comes from the refrigerator it will be harder to press into the prepared pan, as cold dough springs back. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before pressing it out to fill the pan.

Second rise

Drizzle the bottom of the dish with a generous amount of olive oil. You can line the pan with parchment paper as well if you think your pan might stick. After the stretch and folds are completed, transfer the dough into the oiled pan.

Leave it to sit and rest for 5-10 minutes, then oil your fingers and press your fingertips into the dough to spread the dough out into the pan. If the dough resists stretching out, give it a rest and try again in a few minutes.

Let the dough rise in a warm place for around an hour until it has about doubled in size and it jiggles when the pan is shaken. How fast the dough rises will depend on the temperature. It’s always best to watch the dough and not the clock.

Baking and topping

Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C.

Slice the garlic cloves into slices and roughly chop the sundried tomatoes and fresh rosemary leaves.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the surface of the dough, then use oiled fingers to create deep dimples on the top of the focaccia dough, pushing all the way down. Do this all over the entire surface. 

Press the garlic slices deep into the dough. Press in the sun-dried tomato pieces and the rosemary. Sprinkle the dough with flaky salt.

Bake the focaccia until puffed and deep golden brown and the bread pulls away from the edges of the baking dish.

Remove it from the oven and let it sit for 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove it from the pan then let it cool further on a wire cooling rack before serving. 

Serving

This sundried tomato focaccia makes an excellent side dish to go with soups, lasagna, and stews. Use the bread to dip into soups or mop up pasta sauces.

Leftover focaccia bread can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to three days. It can also be frozen for up to three months.