This delicious Italian tomato feta focaccia will make everyone happy! Crisp outside and soft and fluffy inside - be prepared to get asked for the recipe :) Make it for the same day or as a no-knead focaccia overnight (see notes). It’s an easy one-bowl recipe.
2 ¼teaspoons(7 g) instant yeast(only ¼ teaspoon for overnight-version, see note)
1tablespoonolive oil
3cups(400 g) bread flour(you can substitute all-purpose flour)
Topping:
10oz(285 g) cherry tomatoes(see note)
5oz140 g feta, crumbled or block (for vegan omit or use vegan feta)
For serving:
fresh basil
Instructions
Put the water and salt in a large mixing bowl, then stir to dissolve the salt. Sprinkle yeast on top. Add olive oil.
Gradually mix in flour using a cooking spoon or spatula until well combined. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Oil your hands and knead directly in the bowl for 5 minutes. Warning: If not using a stand mixer, the dough will stick to your hands in the beginning but should get easier to handle after about 3-4 minutes into kneading. If not keep going, the focaccia will be great!
Drizzle the dough with a teaspoon or two of olive oil, turn the dough over in the bowl to coat (makes the dough easier to remove from the bowl later). Tightly cover the bowl with a lid cling wrap) and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Coat a 9x13 inch (23x33cm) nonstick baking pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. If using parchment paper, still grease the parchment paper with oil as you’d do it with the nonstick pan. Evenly distribute the oil (bottom and sides) with your fingers.
Turn the risen dough out into the pan using a spatula. Grease your hands and stretch dough into a rough rectangle. If it resists, leave to sit for 5 minutes to relax. Stretch the dough toward the edges of the pan with oiled hands.
Drizzle the dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread oil over the entire surface with your fingers. Dimple the dough all over by pressing your fingers to the bottom of the pan. Set the pan aside - no need to cover, the oil protects it from drying out.
Rinse and dry tomatoes. If using small cocktail or grape tomatoes, cut them in half. If using larger tomatoes like midi-tomatoes, quarter them. Cut feta from a block into small cubes – crumbled feta is good to go.
Place tomatoes (cut side up) and feta on the dough.
Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C conventional top/bottom heat (400°F/200°C fan). While preheating, the focaccia should get a little puffy.
Transfer to the oven and bake until the focaccia is golden on top and the cheese is golden brown or very slightly charred, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for before cutting with a bread knife. The cuts are cleanest when the focaccia is completely cooled down. The focaccia of course tastes great when still warm but be prepared that slicing warm focaccia can damage the crumb. This means the cuts are not as clean as they could be, and the crumb could be a bit gummy (less of the nice big and stable holes).
Serve with fresh basil. Store leftovers wrapped in the fridge.
Notes
Tomatoes: Use small cherry or grape tomatoes. Medium, apricot-sized, tomatoes (used for the focaccia in the photos) are a good choice too. Use as many tomatoes as you prefer.Overnight focaccia:
Overnight + bake in the morning: For an overnight rise at room temperature only add ¼ teaspoon instant yeast to the dough. Mix the ingredients with a spoon or spatula to form a shaggy dough – no need to knead at all :) Tightly cover the mixing bowl with a lid, a wet tea towel, or cling wrap. The lid and towel are the most eco-friendly options. The tea towel should be wet (drenched) and not only moist because it should keep wet overnight. After the 8-15 hour overnight-rise, scrape the bubbly dough to the oiled pan with a spatula the next morning, and proceed with step 5.
Overnight + bake in the evening: If you want to make the overnight version but your schedule doesn’t allow you to bake it in the morning after the overnight rise: Put the dough, still tightly covered, in the fridge in the morning and bake later in the evening.