Roasted Cherry Tomato Fucaccia
INGREDIENTS
FOCACCIA DOUGH:
·
2 cups warm water 90°F, divided
·
2¼ teaspoons active or instant dry
yeast
·
2 tablespoons sugar
·
2 tablespoons olive oil
·
2 teaspoons salt
·
5 to 5½ cups all-purpose or bread
flour
ROASTED BALSAMIC CHERRY TOMATOES:
·
1 pint cherry tomatoes
·
3 shallots sliced
·
1 to 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced (optional)
·
2 tablespoons olive oil
·
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
·
½ teaspoon dried oregano
·
6 fresh basil leaves
·
salt
and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1.
Start by making the
focaccia dough. To make sure your yeast is active, combine 1 cup of the
lukewarm water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand
mixer. Let it proof for 10 to 15 minutes. It should froth a little. If it
doesn’t froth, your yeast is not active and you should start again with new
yeast.
2.
Add the remaining water,
olive oil, salt and 5 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden
spoon or the hook attachment of the mixer until the dough comes together to
form a sticky ball. Add additional flour to get the right consistency. If you
are using a stand mixer, the dough should pull away from the bowl, leaving it
mostly clean. If you are kneading by hand, you should be able to handle it, but
it will be soft and a little sticky. If you are using all-purpose flour, you
will need to add more than if you are using bread flour, but you shouldn’t need
more than 5½ cups total. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is elastic and
smooth.
3.
Place the ball of dough
in an oiled bowl, turning the dough over to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with
plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1
hour until it doubles in size.
4.
While the dough is
rising, roast the cherry tomatoes. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Cut the cherry
tomatoes in half and toss them with the shallots, garlic, olive oil, balsamic
vinegar, oregano, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in
the fresh basil leaves, tearing any large leaves in half. Place the tomatoes
onto a baking sheet in one layer and transfer the sheet to the oven. Roast for
10 t0 15 minutes, until the tomatoes just start to soften and collapse.
5.
Coat a 9-inch x 13-inch
pan with olive oil. Once the dough has doubled in bulk, transfer it to the pan.
Press and spread the dough out into the pan and flip it over to coat both sides
with the olive oil. Using your fingertips, press the dough to form dimples.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 30 minutes.
6.
Spread the roasted
tomatoes out over top the dough pressing them gently into the dough, making
more dimples in the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle coarse salt on top, cover
with the towel again and let the dough rise for another 30 to 40 minutes. The
dough should rise to fill three quarters of the pan.
7.
Pre-heat the oven to
425°F.
8.
Transfer the pan to the
oven and bake the focaccia for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread is golden
brown on both sides. Transfer the pan to a baking rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Then remove the focaccia from pan.
9.
Cut the focaccia into
squares, rectangles or strips. Serve with an olive oil to dip into or use the
focaccia to make sandwiches.
https://bluejeanchef.com/recipes/roasted-cherry-tomato-focaccia
