This Tomato and Olive Focaccia features a golden, airy crust topped with briny olives, fresh tomatoes, and thyme for a savory, bakery-style bread.
Tomato and Olive Focaccia
Makes 1 (10-inch) loaf
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups water, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3¼ cups bread flour (see kitchen tip)
- 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup pitted mixed olives
- 1 large tomato, seeded and cut into ¼-inch strips
- ¼ cup sliced grape tomatoes
- Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 1⅓ cups water and 2 tablespoons oil. Add flour, salt, yeast, and thyme leaves. Stir with a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a cohesive dough forms. (Dough will be shaggy and tacky.) Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°) for 2 hours, folding dough in bowl every 30 minutes. (To fold, use wet or oiled hands to reach under one side of dough; gently stretch up, and fold over center. Repeat around bowl. Should be a total of four folds.)
- Lightly oil a 10-inch square cast-iron skillet. Place dough in skillet. Using your fingertips, gently stretch dough to fill skillet. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°) until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Uncover dough; drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil onto dough, and dimple using your fingertips, touching skillet through dough without tearing dough. Top with olives and all tomatoes.
- Bake until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 205°, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in skillet for 10 minutes. Remove from skillet; serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.
Notes
Bread flour contains more protein than all-purpose flour, creating the structure and texture needed in baking bread. All-purpose flour will work fine in place of the bread flour, but choose a higher-protein flour like King Arthur All-Purpose Flour as opposed to a soft wheat flour.
