Tomato and Oregano Focaccia

Focaccia, a.k.a. Facatz, is a flat, Italian bread typically seasoned with herbs and olive oil.

This recipe, “Favia’s Focaccia”, is one that has been passed down from generation to generation in Bari, Italy. Although I am not a Favia, I’ve had the good fortune of inheriting it from a woman I consider as a second mother, Rosa Favia.

This crowd-pleasing, award-winning (I made that up, it hasn’t won any awards…yet) dish will become a staple in your recipe repertoire. It’s the perfect appetizer for any party, a great addition to any Italian meal, or simply paired with your favorite salad.

You’ll need:

A large mixing bowl

An aluminum foil pan (I use the Handi Foil baking pan 11-3/4″L x 9-3/8″W x 2-5/16″H – but anything with similar dimensions works)

A spatula

Dough ingredients:

2 ¾ cups of unbleached all-purpose flour

1 packet of active dry yeast

2 teaspoons of salt (either table or sea salt work)

1 ¾ cups of hot water (not boiling, think HOT shower)

Topping ingredients:

¾ cup of olive oil (California Olive Oil)

1 pound of grape or cherry tomatoes (1 ½ of the small containers)

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

Oregano

The first thing you should know is that this isn’t like typical baking where the measurements are critical. Too much flour? We’ll fix it! Not enough water? Not a problem! Too much salt? Is that even possible?!  This recipe is VERY FORGIVING and takes some time to perfect, so buy extra ingredients so you can make it a few times. The most important part is the consistency of the dough before you let it rise. I’ll talk more about that later.

Quick tip: Always keep one of your hands clean. When you’re mixing the dough, use one hand to mix and one hand to hold the bowl.

Start with your flour in a large bowl. Take the bottom of your 1 cup measuring cup and push down to make a pit in the center of the flour. You want your pit almost as deep as the measuring cup.  Pour your packet of yeast into this pit.  Use salt to make a ring around the outside perimeter, where the flour meets the bowl. It is very important that the salt and yeast do not mix at this point, it will affect the way the dough rises. Next, using only enough hot water to fill the pit, slowly fill and allow the water and yeast to sit for 1 minute.  Now, you can use one hand to begin mixing the flour, yeast and salt.  Gradually add more water, approximately ½ a cup at a time, and use one hand to mix. Continue until you have added all the water and then work the dough into a rubber cement like mixture – roughly 5 minutes.  Don’t be afraid to take out some aggression on this dough, it really likes it.

Dough Consistency …..Not Exactly Rubber Cement? I got you.

This is where having a clean hand is VERY IMPORTANT. You may find that your dough is too runny or too dry/thick and you need to make some tweaks to get it to be rubber cement.  No problem!

Runny: With your clean hand, reach into your flour bag and grab a pinch more flour. Work that into your mixture. Still too runny? Add another pinch and continue to beat the shit out of your dough. Keep going with this pattern until you have rubber cement.

Too Dry: With your clean hand, add in a touch more hot water work into your mixture.  Still too dry?  You know the drill, just keep adding a bit of water at a time and working your mixture until it’s just right.

Once you have the dough right, cover it (I use a clean dish towel, but aluminum foil also works) and let it rise for at least an hour, but no longer than 2 hours.

Once your dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Take your ¾ cup of olive oil and fill the bottom of the aluminum foil pan, working it around the corners and up on the sides of the pan.  It may seem like too much oil but we do not want the dough to stick!  Keeping one had clean, dip the other hand in the olive oil before adding the dough into the aluminum pan. I like to use a spatula to move the dough from the bowl to the pan, but your hand will work just fine, too.  Use the hand that’s covered in olive oil to spread the dough across the pan and into the corners and spreading the excess olive oil across the top.

Now for the tomatoes. The option here is to cut the tomatoes in half or rip the tomatoes in half. I prefer to rip them — this is the Favia way! It is a bit messy, but it’s how they did in the old country and the acid from the tomatoes adds flavor and it gives the finished product a very rustic look. Either way, completely cover your dough in tomatoes (and any juice you may have from ripping or cutting). Next, pour the salt into your palm, making a little mound from which you will sprinkle evenly across the top of your dough and tomatoes until it is gone. I know this seems like a lot of salt, it’s not. Finally, you’re going to cover that bad boy in oregano. I’d say roughly 1 tablespoon, but just use the shaker and keep going until there is a dusting of oregano over the entire top.

Bake on the middle rack for an hour (this may be longer or shorter depending on your oven). I would start checking on it at roughly 40 minutes.  The more times you make this recipe, the more comfortable you will become with knowing when it is done. Your focaccia will be fragrant, the tomatoes will have begun to caramelize and burn (I promise, they won’t taste burnt), the top will be a golden hard crust. It. Will. Be. Beautiful.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Using a large flat spatula, remove the bread from the pan. It should pop right out if the olive oil was used to coat the corners and the sides correctly. Using a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors, cut that bad boy up and serve it while it’s warm – its perfection when it’s fresh!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Tomato & Oregano Focaccia Bread

A flat Italian Bread seasoned with herbs, olive oil and tomatoes.

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Focaccia Bread, Italian Flat Bread, Seasoned Bread

Equipment

• large mixing bowl
• aluminum foil baking pan 11-3/4″L x 9-3/8″W x 2-5/16″H – but anything with similar dimensions works

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 tsp salt table or sea salt
• 1 3/4 cups hot water, not boiling think hot shower

Toppings:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lb grape or cherry tomatoes (1 ½ of the small containers)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• oregano

Instructions

• Start with your flour in a large bowl. Take the bottom of your 1 cup measuring cup and push down to make a pit in the center of the flour. You want your pit almost as deep as the measuring cup.
• Pour your packet of yeast into this pit.  Use salt to make a ring around the outside perimeter, where the flour meets the bowl. It is very important that the salt and yeast do not mix at this point, it will affect the way the dough rises. 
• Next, using only enough hot water to fill the pit, slowly fill and allow the water and yeast to sit for 1 minute. 
• Now, you can use one hand to begin mixing the flour, yeast and salt.  Gradually add more water, approximately ½ a cup at a time, and use one hand to mix. Continue until you have added all the water and then work the dough into a rubber cement like mixture – roughly 5 minutes.  Don’t be afraid to take out some aggression on this dough, it really likes it.
• Dough Consistency …..Not Exactly Rubber Cement? I got you.
• This is where having a clean hand is VERY IMPORTANT. You may find that your dough is too runny or too dry/thick and you need to make some tweaks to get it to be rubber cement.  No problem!
• Runny: with your clean hand, reach into your flour bag grab a pinch more flour. Work that into your mixture. Still too runny? Add another pinch and continue to beat the shit out of your dough. Keep going with this pattern until you have rubber cement.
• Too Dry: With your clean hand, add in a touch more hot water work into your mixture.  Still too dry, you know the drill, just keep adding a bit of water at a time and working your mixture until it’s just right.
• Once you have the dough right, cover it (I use a clean dish towel, but aluminum foil also works) and let it rise for at least an hour, but no longer than 2 hours.
• Once your dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Take your ¾ cup of olive oil and fill the bottom of the aluminum foil pan, working it around the corners and up on the sides of the pan.  It may seem like too much oil but we do not want the dough to stick!  Keeping one had clean, dip the other hand in the olive oil before adding the dough into the aluminum pan. I like to use a spatula to move the dough from the bowl to the pan, but your hand will work just fine, too.  Use the hand that’s covered in olive oil to spread the dough across the pan and into the corners and spreading the excess olive oil across the top.

Now for the tomatoes.

• Cut the tomatoes in half and cover the dough with the tomatoes.
•  Next, pour the salt into your palm, making a mountain from which you will sprinkle the salt evenly across the top of your dough and tomatoes until it is gone. Again, I know this seems like a lot of salt, it’s not. 
•  Finally, you’re going to cover that bad boy in oregano. I’d say roughly 1 tablespoon, but just use the shaker and keep going until there is a dusting of oregano over the entire top.
• Bake on the middle rack for an hour (this may be longer or shorter depending on your oven), I would start checking on it at roughly 40 minutes. The more times you make this recipe, the more comfortable you will become with knowing when it is done. Your focaccia will be fragrant, the tomatoes will have begun to caramelize and burn (I promise, they won’t taste burnt), the top will be a golden hard crust.  
• Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Using a large flat spatula remove the bread from the pan. It should pop right out if the olive oil was used to coat the corners and the sides correctly. Using a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors, cut that bad boy up and serve it while it’s warm – its perfection when it’s fresh!

Notes

• First thing you should know, this isn’t like typical baking where the measurements are critical. Too much flour? We’ll fix it! Not enough water? Not a problem! Too much salt? Is that even possible?!  This recipe is VERY FORGIVING and takes some time to perfect, so buy extra ingredients so you can make it a few times. The most important part is the consistency of the dough before you let it rise. I’ll talk more about that later.
• Quick tip: Always keep one of your hands clean. When you’re mixing the dough, use one hand to mix and one hand to hold the bowl.
• This bread can be made in many variations. You have the foundation which is the bread. Favorite combos are red onion and artichokes, rosemary, salt and olive oil or black olives and tomatoes. Literally, whatever you want! Enjoy!