This no-knead Focaccia Bread recipe provides a crispy crust with a chewy bite. The topping of herbed cherry tomatoes adds a burst of flavor. It makes a great summer appetizer or a tasty bread to serve with soups or stews.
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Introduction
You will love at least two things when you make this focaccia recipe.
The first is how easy it comes together. This naturally vegan bread requires no kneading. Combine the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Transfer to pan. When doubled in size, top with herbed cherry tomatoes and bake. That’s it.
The second is the aroma of the bread as it is baking in the oven.
Who can resist the smell of freshly baked bread?
There are endless possibilities when it comes to focaccia toppings —these range from the simple combination of rosemary and olive oil to roasted garlic to sauteed Swiss chard to caramelized onions to roasted tomatoes!
Today, we will use cherry tomatoes to garnish our yeast bread since summer vegetable gardens are still overflowing with them.
Like this roasted tomato sauce, we will use various cherry tomatoes and combine them with herbs and garlic.
This no-knead cherry tomato focaccia bread makes a great summer appetizer especially when served with Italian giardiniera. It’s also a great accompaniment to soups and stews in the fall.
You won’t believe how easy this is to make.
Mise en place
Let’s begin by preheating the oven to 400°F (200 °C). Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
Plan so that the oven has time to preheat, ideally one hour properly.
There are two parts to this recipe:
The focaccia dough: The recipe I use, along with the step-by-step photo tutorial on how to make it, can be found by simply clicking on the highlighted link. This is an easy no-knead recipe for potato yeast dough, resulting in a light and airy texture.
The herbed cherry tomato topping: Slice 8 ounces (250 grams) of cherry tomatoes in half and place in a small bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon of freshly minced oregano, 2 teaspoons of minced thyme, 2 garlic cloves (minced finely or pressed), ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
Mix properly to coat the tomatoes and set aside. Allow the mixture to sit together for at least 15 minutes. Do not drain the liquid.
If desired, mince ½ teaspoon of each fresh oregano and thyme to garnish the focaccia once baked and removed from the oven.
How to make focaccia with cherry tomatoes
When the yeast bread has doubled in size, dip fingertips in olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) and gently create dimples in the bread.
Place the tomatoes, cut side up, in the indentations of the dough.
You will notice an accumulation of liquid and herbs at the bottom of the bowl. Use a pastry brush to distribute the liquid throughout the surface of your bread.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 23-26 minutes.
When golden brown and crisp, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
If desired, garnish with freshly chopped thyme, oregano and a sprinkle of flakey sea salt.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Preheat your oven. The proper temperature is important to get thick focaccia.
- Use high-quality oil for the best-tasting bread.
- Customize with your favorite herbs and spices like red pepper flakes, basil, rosemary, tarragon, or even chives. The possibilities are endless.
- Use a variety of cherry tomatoes. Slice the larger ones in half; leave the smaller tomatoes whole.
- Garnish with fresh minced herbs as soon as the focaccia comes out of the oven for fresh-tasting bread.
- To freeze, wrap individual portions in plastic film and then aluminum foil. To reheat, remove the plastic film, wrap in the foil and heat it in the oven. Keeps frozen for up to 3 months.
FAQ
You can store focaccia leftovers at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. To serve: reheat in a low oven for about 10 minutes.
Yes, you can easily freeze this focaccia for up to one month. Wrap room temperature individual portions of focaccia with plastic wrap and then in aluminum to prevent freezer burn. Place in a freezer bag or container, label and freeze. To reheat, remove the plastic film, wrap it in the foil and reheat in a low oven for about 10 minutes.
Focaccia bread is not only thicker but also has a softer texture when compared to pizza. Since focaccia is usually served as an appetizer or an accompaniment to soups and salads, it is lightly garnished. This usually consists of olive oil, salt, herbs, onions, olives and tomatoes. On the other hand, pizza is considered a meal and its toppings may include tomato sauce, cheese, and various salumi, meats and vegetables.
Recipe inspiration
As you can well imagine, it is back to my youth for this recipe.
My mom would make this simple focaccia recipe throughout most of the year.
But in the summer, with so many fresh vegetables growing in the backyard garden, the variations were endless.
To this day, two of my favorite toppings for this Italian focaccia bread are roasted peppers and zucchini. They bring me right back into my mom’s kitchen.
I love to experiment with this potato yeast bread and I have to say I am obsessed with sundried tomatoes and a caramelized onion topping. It becomes the best Italian bread to make sandwiches with!
I would love to hear about your favorite toppings!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community, where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
And if you are new here, welcome! You may want to sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. You can unsubscribe any time you want.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this easy recipe for tomato focaccia, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Focaccia Bread Recipe with Cherry Tomatoes
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Ingredients
- 1 focaccia dough recipe
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for dipping fingertips
Cherry Tomato Topping:
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes 250 grams, sliced in half
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon water room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon oregano fresh, minced
- 2 teaspoons thyme fresh, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper freshly ground
To garnish (optional):
- ½ teaspoon oregano fresh, minced
- ½ teaspoon thyme fresh, minced
- flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Make the recipe for the focaccia dough.
- While waiting for the bread to rise in the rimmed baking sheet, combine all the ingredients for the cherry tomato topping in a bowl. Set aside.
Assembling:
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F (200 °C) and place the oven grate in the bottom third of the oven. The oven needs to preheat for at least one hour so plan accordingly.
- Dip fingertips in olive oil and gently create dimples in the bread.
- Place the cherry tomatoes, cut side up, in the newly formed indentations.
- Brush the liquid and herbs left at the bottom of the bowl over the entire surface of the bread.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 23-26 minutes.
- When golden brown and crisp, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
- If desired, garnish with freshly chopped thyme, oregano and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Preheat your oven. The proper temperature is important to get thick focaccia.
- Use high-quality oil for the best tasting bread.
- Customize with your favorite herbs and spices like red pepper flakes, basil, rosemary, tarragon, or even chives. The possibilities are endless.
- Use a variety of cherry tomatoes. Slice the larger ones in half; leave the smaller tomatoes whole.
- Garnish with fresh minced herbs as soon as the focaccia comes out of the oven for a fresh-tasting bread.
- To freeze, simply wrap individual portions in plastic film and then aluminum foil. To reheat, simply remove the plastic film, wrap in the foil and heat in the oven. Keeps frozen for up to 3 months.
Anita Turi
This potato focaccia is amazing! I made it today and everyone loves it! My mom was always an amazing cook and baker, but she has dementia and hasn’t been able to cook for over 2 years. This focaccia bread tastes just like hers. Thank you so much for all your recipes. I’ve been making many of your recipes this year and they all taste just like my mom’s. I’m so happy to have found your posts…so good!
Maria
I am so happy to read this! Thanks so much for sharing Anita ♥
Shelly
Wonderful !! 5 + Stars. Instructions clear to understand. Taste, texture spot on!. Going forward this is a keeper. Thank you for the wonderful recipe and the alternate flavor combinations.
Maria
So thrilled to read this Shelly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jolly Van Hijum
I would like to make the focaccia in my oven on the pizza stone. Can I do this without a pan? And at what temperature?
Maria
Thanks for your interest Jolly. The texture of the focaccia dough is really, really soft… I don’t think you will be able to transfer it on the hot pizza stone without affecting the overall texture and quality of the bread.
Lisa C
Oh my goodness! This focaccia came out sooo good! It’s got a crisp crust and chewy inside texture. And, it’s a great way to use up some of our summer tomato produce! Thanks for the recipe Maria!
Maria
I am so thrilled to read this! You are most welcome Lisa! Thanks so much for sharing!
Val
What a great combination of flavors! Can’t wait to try this!
Maria
It really is so delicious! Thanks for stopping by Val.