Focaccia with Tomatoes (super easy!)

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This golden brown focaccia with tomatoes is the ultimate comfort food! It’s perfectly soft, chewy, topped with juicy tomatoes, crunchy flaky sea salt, and fruity olive oil. Best of all, it’s so easy that you can make it in 1 BOWL.

I know you’re going to love it. ; )

Top view of a large round focaccia with tomatoes and oregano over a white background.

I’ve already published my easy Italian focaccia and focaccia with olives, recipes that I’ve been making for ages. They still continue to be amazingly good, perfect for sharing, always a hit with family and friends.

Today I’m back with this terrific focaccia with tomatoes. It’s crispy, naturally vegan, full of fresh tomatoes, and it’s so darn good that you just can’t stop eating it.

And although there are many focaccia recipes out there, this one is a no brainer, so straightforward and perfect if you’ve never made focaccia before.

First things first, the dough is a breeze to whip up in one bowl. It takes seconds, literally.

And no equipment, no kneading, no second rise required.

Once the dough is fluffy and bubbly, it can be shaped into a round pan or into a rectangular baking tray. That’s when you poke all those little dimples with your fingers, and pour the brine over to soak them perfectly.

The brine is what makes your focaccia really AMAZING. Don’t skip it!

Top with fresh, ripe tomatoes, aromatic oregano, sea salt flakes and bake, then finish with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

The end result is so incredible that you’ll be making focaccia with tomatoes forever! : )

List of the ingredients

The ingredients to make this focaccia with tomatoes are arranged over a white background.

How to make focaccia with tomatoes

(Note: this is a quick description, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)

  • To make the dough, follow this easy focaccia recipe and tips!
  • Once the dough is gently pressed into a baking pan, pour the brine and make sure it goes into all those little holes you’ve pocked with your fingers.
  • Top with tomatoes, oregano, flaky sea salt, and bake. Serve with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
Top view of a round baking pan with the focaccia dough topped with brine, tomatoes and oregano before baking.

Recipe notes

Ingredients and substitutions

All-purpose flour: unbleached all-purpose flour is perfect, but bread four works fine too. Make sure to measure the flour correctly (see notes in the recipe card).

Yeast: I used instant yeast for this recipe, it’s convenient and you can stir it directly into the flour. But Active dry yeast works just fine, but you’ll need to activate it in warm water first (follow the manufacturer’s directions). 

Salt: fine salt is for the dough and the brine.

Sea salt flakes: for sprinkling on top of the dough before baking, they add texture and flavor. If you don’t have flaky sea salt on hand, use a pinch of fine sea salt, that should be enough and doesn’t make the bread too salty (just don’t use 1/2 teaspoon in this case, it would be too much).

Extra virgin olive oil: it’s a must, it adds so much flavor and makes this tomato focaccia moist. The recipe uses olive oil in the dough plus extra for drizzling on top once the focaccia with tomatoes has baked.

Tomatoes: I use cherry tomatoes, I can spread them evenly and look pretty too. But if you have larger grape tomatoes, cut them into slices and arrange them over the surface of the dough. They work just fine.

Oregano: dried oregano adds its mediterranean flavor and works great on this focaccia with tomatoes. Other dried herbs like Italian herb seasoning or rosemary are good too. if you use fresh herbs such as thyme, basil, parsley, oregano, check the notes in the recipe card.

Close-up of a slice of focaccia with tomatoes showing its light and fluffy texture.

Fancy a few add-ins?

Tomato focaccia tastes delicious as it is, but you’re more than welcome to customize it, if you wish. Extras such as a handful of kalamata olives, anchovies, canned artichokes, sliced red onions or caramelized onions will pair so well with the fresh tomatoes.

How to serve focaccia with tomatoes?

This scrumptious focaccia makes a great meal along with a fresh lettuce salad or a bean salad, but it’s also sensational cut into small bites and served along with more Italian appetizers such as arancini, sun dried tomato paste, marinated mozzarella or bruschetta!

How long does it keep?

Tomato focaccia is best when it’s freshly made, but can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 1 day. And it’s freezable too! Just defrost at room temperature, reheat in the oven (at 350F/175C) for a few minutes, and enjoy it warmed and crisped.

Love more easy pizza recipes?

If you love pizza and focaccia, I’m sure you’ll love this super easy pizza dough and these amazing collection of 17 veggie pizza recipes, 15 focaccia toppings or 25 YUMMY pizza toppings!

Here are a few of my favorites:

If you make this easy focaccia with tomatoes, or if you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!

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Focaccia with Tomatoes

This focaccia with tomatoes is the ultimate comfort food! It's perfectly soft and chewy, and it’s topped with juicy fresh tomatoes, crunchy flaky sea salt, and fruity olive oil. And best of all, it's so easy that you can make it in 1 BOWL.
Recipe yields 4 generous servings, if you bake it in a round pan (or 6 servings if you use a larger baking tray).
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Focaccia with Tomatoes
Servings: 4
Author: Katia

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (250 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 ½ teaspoon dry instant yeast (or Active dry yeast, see notes)
  • ¾ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¾ cup + 1 Tbsp (200 ml)  lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoon (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Focaccia Topping

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into halves (12 tomatoes)
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes

Instructions

  • For the dough, place the flour in a large bowl and follow this focaccia recipe from point 1 to 10 included. The dough recipe is the same, but here I used a round baking pan (10 inch/26 cm diameter) and I changed baking time and the amount of brine accordingly.
  • Preheat the oven to 430°F/220°C and place the rack close to heating element at the bottom of the oven. But you know your oven, so chose the position that makes the focaccia bottom crispy.
  • Arrange the cherry tomatoes evenly across the top, pushing them slightly into the dough. Scatter with flaky sea salt and oregano.
  • Bake for 20-22 minutes (or if you bake focaccia in larger baking tray it's fine baking at 400°F/200°C for 20-25 minutes). Focaccia is ready when golden and crispy, trust your judgement.
  • Let it cool for 10 before slicing and serving, finish with an extra drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (optional, but delicious). Enjoy!

Notes

Flour: all-purpose flour is perfect for focaccia bread, but you can use also bread flour.
Brine: if you use a larger pan (for example 9 x 13 inches) you need double the brine.
Fresh herbs: it’s better if you mix them into the dough itself rather than sprinkling them on top since they might burn or get too dry and crispy in the oven.
Storage: focaccia is best the day it is made but can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 1 day. It freezes very well.
Measurements: I use both US cups and grams. The cups of flour are leveled: fill the measuring cup all the way to the top letting the flour flow over a little.  Then, use the back of a knife to level the top off.
Yeast: Active dry yeast and instant yeast can be used interchangeably in this recipe. However, Active dry yeast needs to be activated in water and let it sit until slightly foamy before adding to the flour (follow the manufacturer’s instructions). Also, you might need to extend the proofing time if needed.
Water absorption: water absorption is the amount of water taken up by flour and may vary significantly depending on the type of flour, brand, and weather conditions. When you add water to the flour, start with the amount stated in the recipe. If the liquid is not enough to achieve that dough consistency as shown in the pictures above, just add gradually a little extra water until the flour has been incorporated.
Warm oven method: preheating the oven at low temperatures creates a warm environment for the dough to rise in faster. This shortcut works great when you’re in a hurry.
Speedy method for focaccia with tomatoes ready in 1 hour? This is the method I use for a speedy rise in this focaccia recipe!

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