Herbed Focaccia Bread with Olive and Cherry Tomatoes, is easy popular Italian recipe. Herbed Focaccia Bread can be used as a side. Herbed Focaccia Bread with Olive and Cherry Tomatoes, a crunchy golden crusty and a chewy delicious bread, topped by any or a combination of herbs, tomatoes, olives or just the wonderful nutty olive oil with a pinch of salt.Focaccia Bread is a great companion to any soups, can be severed as a side or a wonderful base for a sandwich…you can use it in whatever way but I assure you, you will just love it. When it comes out of the oven after filling your entire house with the luscious smell of fresh herbs, it will be very hard to stop at just one slice. I must warn you ? it is quite addictive!!! I can tell you this much, the bread vanished off the table so quickly that I hardly managed to save a piece for a sandwich. Even my picky eater girls loved it! It was everything you want in focaccia and then some more. If you have never tried focaccia I urge you to do so, you won’t be disappointed.

I love my focaccia recipe, I’ve been making it for years and it always comes out perfectly. It’s very easy to make, however, takes a little over an hour to make from start to finish. What I love about Focaccia is you could customize it as per your taste for the season or the occasion. Herbed Focaccia Bread with Olive and Cherry Tomatoes, is my best version. The little tomatoes burst open when you bite into it and their sweet juice, along with the herbs, and the salty bread, it is a real treat.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cup All Purpose Flour
• 2-3 tsp (1 Packet) Dry Active Yeast
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 cup Warm Water
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt
• ½ tsp Garlic Powder
• 1-2 tsp Italian Seasoning

For Toppings
• ½ cup Halved Cherry or Greps Tomatoes
• ¼ cup Halved Pitted Olive
• 1 tsp Minced Garlic
• ¼ cup chopped Fresh Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano and Parsley)
• 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil for Brushing
• Sea Salt or Coarse Salt for Sprinkling

Method:

1. Take a small bowl. Add warm water, sugar and mix it until dissolve. Add dry active yeast and cover the bowl for 8-10 mins or till yeast become foamy and bubbly.
2. Take another large bowl. Add flour, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, olive oil and mix it well.
3. Now add the prepared yeast liquid mixture into the floured mixture, knead it, add 2-3 tbsp water if required and make a smooth soft dough.
4. Cover the dough and keep aside on warm place till it becomes double, typically it takes about 35-40 mins.
5. Preheat an oven on 450F(230C).
6. Now take a baking sheet or cast iron skillet, brush it with olive oil and keep aside.
7. Take the dough, punch it down and make a dough ball and place it on the baking sheet or skillet.
8. Pat the dough ball, and make a thick circle (about ½ inch thick) and finger impressions over it, something like dimples all over it.
9. Now place the halved tomatoes and olives into each dimple ?, generously brush the top with olive oil, spread the chopped fresh herbs and minced garlic, sprinkle 2-3 pinches of coarse salt over it and allow the dough to rest for 10-15 mins.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the both sides begin to brown then place under the broiler till the top becomes golden brown, remove it from the oven and serve warm with soup or dips. You can also serve it simply as a sides ? and enjoy.

Tips:

• If you don’t have garlic powder you can use garlic paste or just skip it.
• You can use dried herb instead of fresh ones.
• For best result use cast iron skillet.
• You can use other toppings too like onion, bell pepper, etc…as per your choice.