Tomato and Garlic Focaccia – Guest Post Series

Focaccia is a type of Italian flatbread which has the basic ingredients yeast, olive oil, salt and herbs added to the dough. The topping can vary from plain just with herbs and oil to meat. This post is  a part of the guest post series that I run on my blog.

It’s time for guest post and I am indeed happy to a bread baking post her, I heartily welcome Mayuri Patel in this small space. She  is a wonderful person and a  good cook who can create dishes from different cuisines with ease. I am always amazed by her enthusiasm in creating these dishes. She blogs at www.mayuris-jkoni.com

With Christmas round the corner and all the baking in mind, here is another one to try Tomato and Garlic Foccacia Without much ado, it’s over to Mayuri now

Sometime back Jayashree who blogs at EverGreen Dishes asked me to be a guest on her blog. I promised her that as soon as I got back from my trip to India I would make something for her blog. However, time just flew, with me falling sick and then with Navratri and now Diwali preparations. However, I feel bad when I’ve made a commitment and cannot see it through. Jayashree is quite a busy body, she not only has 3 ebooks published but also runs a popular Facebook Group called Desi Bloggers Connect. I got to know her through some food blogger groups that we both are a part of. Her blog is full of  South Indian recipes, a variety of dals and other recipes from different cuisines. She also loves to write poems. Check out her blog for some delicious dishes.

I had decided that I would bake a bread for Jayashree’s blog as I love baking. As a light meal, hubby had suggested I make soup. I asked him to buy some bread on his way back home and he replied ‘ You haven’t baked a bread in a long time’. And he left. So had to put on my thinking cap as to what to bake that will not take too long and too much effort.(does he know I have to make Diwali snacks?)  Focaccia( pronounced as fo-ca-chaa) definitely won the toss over a Middle Eastern bread.

Focaccia is a type of Italian flatbread which has the basic ingredients yeast, olive oil, salt and herbs added to the dough. The topping can vary from plain just with herbs and oil to meat. Here are some ideas for topping that you can use for focaccia:

• caramelized onion
• mozzarella cheese
• tomatoes
• eggplant
• roasted pepper
• mushrooms
• olives
• cheddar cheese
• apple slices with gruyere cheese and onion
• fig and feta cheese
• red grapes with feta
• a sweet focaccia
• pizza sauce and herbs

The options are endless. It is believed that the famous Italian flatbread originated from Ancient Greek culture and Etruscans who lived in what is now Tuscany. The word focaccia comes from the Roman word panis focacius  which means a hearth or fireside bread. Focaccia later on gave rise to the famous pizza. The type of focaccia varies from region to region. Some are extra thin, some are a bit thick and also the topping vary.

Usually, Focaccia is made from plain flour but I decided to use more of the wheat flour and less of plain flour.

TOMATO AND GARLIC FOCACCIA

Makes 12 pieces

For the Focaccia:

• 2 cups wheat flour (atta)
• 1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 2¼ tsp instant dry active yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1¼ – 1½ cup warm water
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the topping:

• 1-2 tomatoes, sliced

Preparation of the focaccia:

1. Mix both the flours, salt, sugar, garlic slices and yeast in a bowl.
2. Rub the oil into the flour.
3. Add warm water and make a dough.
4. Dust the worktop with some flour and knead the dough till its smooth and soft.It should stick a bit to your hands. I kneaded the dough for 5 minutes.
5. Shape the dough into a ball. Rub oil over it.
6. Grease the bowl with some oil.
7. Put the dough in the greased bowl and cover it with a damp kitchen towel, a lid or cling film.
8. Place it in a warm place for the dough to ferment till its about double the size. Mine took about 1 hour.
9. Grease a baking tray with about 2 tbsp of olive oil. I used a 25 X 35cm tray.
10. Gently slip the risen dough onto the greased tray.
11. Put your fingers under the dough and slowly stretch it out to more or less fit the tray.
12. Let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes.
13. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
14. Using your fingers, make dents all over the risen dough gently.
15. Arrange the sliced tomatoes over the risen dough.
16. Sprinkle the salt and the rosemary over the risen dough.
17. Pour the oil over the topping, use a brush to smear some oil over the tomato slices.
18. Bake the focaccia in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes till it appears light golden brown.
19. Remove the tray from the oven.
20. Let the focaccia cool down a bit. Cut into squares and serve it warm with a salad, soup or as a starter with some chili oil.

Tips:

• Use ripe but firm tomatoes.
• Wheat flour tends to need more water so add accordingly.
• Sprinkle sea salt on top instead of Himalayan pink salt.
• Add garlic slices on top if you wish.
• Don’t reduce the amount of olive oil required as you want the base and sides to be a bit crunchy.

Print

Tomato and Garlic Focaccia Bread

Focaccia is a type of Italian flatbread which has the basic ingredients yeast, olive oil, salt and herbs added to the dough. The topping can vary from plain just with herbs and oil to meat. 

Course Breakfast, evening snacks, lunch

Cuisine international, Italian

Keyword baking, bread making, focaccia, tomato and garlic focaccia

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 12 bread

Author Mayuri. Patel

Ingredients

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoon instant dry active yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4- 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 2-3 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Mix both the flours, salt, sugar, garlic slices and yeast in a bowl.

2. Rub the oil into the flour.

3. Add warm water and make a dough.

4. Dust the worktop with some flour and knead the dough till its smooth and soft.It should stick a bit to your hands. I kneaded the dough for 5 minutes.

5. Shape the dough into a ball. Rub oil over it.
6. Grease the bowl with some oil.
7. Put the dough in the greased bowl and cover it with a damp kitchen towel, a lid or cling film.
8. Place it in a warm place for the dough to ferment till its about double the size. Mine took about 1 hour.

9. Grease a baking tray with about 2 tbsp of olive oil. I used a 25 X 35cm tray.

10. Gently slip the risen dough onto the greased tray.

11. Put your fingers under the dough and slowly stretch it out to more or less fit the tray.

12. Let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

13. Using your fingers, make dents all over the risen dough gently. Arrange the sliced tomatoes over the risen dough.

14. Sprinkle the salt and the rosemary over the risen dough.

    Pour the oil over the topping, use a brush to smear some oil over the tomato slices.

15. Bake the focaccia in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes till it appears light golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven. Let the focaccia cool down a bit. Cut into squares and serve it warm with a salad, soup or as a starter with some chili oil.

Recipe Notes

• Use ripe but firm tomatoes.
• Wheat flour tends to need more water so add accordingly.
• Sprinkle sea salt on top instead of Himalayan pink salt.
• Add garlic slices on top if you wish.
• Don't reduce the amount of olive oil required as you want the base and sides to be a bit crunchy.