Rustic Focaccia with Tomatoes, Onions, and Olives

Hello friends!  Today’s recipe for a rustic focaccia with tomatoes, onions, and olives is coming to you from Italy!  We arrived in Rome a few days ago, but I had made this delicious treat just before my trip and with plans to share it with you today.

What is focaccia?

Focaccia is an Italian flat bread that is very simple to make and does not require any shaping. The soft and pillowy dough is made with just flour and water, some yeast, and a good amount of extra virgin olive oil.  Every Italian region has its own local variation, but the most-well known versions are the ones from Genoa (focaccia genovese) and Bari (focaccia barese).

The many toppings of focaccia

Delicious on its own with just a simple sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil, a focaccia is the perfect canvas for all sorts of toppings. The toppings can be any variety of seasonal sautéed vegetables, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, and/or cheeses.  Feel free to experiment with your favorite ingredients!  This rustic focaccia with tomatoes, onions, and olives is one of my favorites.

How to serve the focaccia

Focaccia is usually cut into small squares and enjoyed on its own as a snack, or, it is offered as part of an antipasto course.  In its simplest form, that is without any topping, focaccia is one of the most beloved Italian sandwich breads, split in half and filled with cured meats, fresh mozzarella or other cheeses, arugula, or fresh and marinated vegetables.

How to scale it down

This recipe is a real crowd pleaser; it is perfect for parties and is one of the first items that always disappears fast in a gathering!  It calls for five cups of flour, which make a lot of focaccia (but, believe me, this will disappear fast).  You can, however, easily scale the recipe by half and make only one pan (13″ x 9″) rather than the two called for in this recipe.

If you make the whole recipe, you could save half of the dough in the refrigerator to use later in the week, or, freeze it for another time. This recipe for rustic focaccia with tomatoes, onions, and olives is super simple, and so foolproof that even the non-experienced baker can tackle it with confidence!

5.0 from 4 reviews

Rustic Focaccia with Tomatoes, Onions and Olives

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

A favorite Italian flat bred from Northern Italy

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 TBSP. sugar
• 5 cups flour for pizza or bread flour
• 1 TBSP. sea salt
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• --- ---- coarse sea salt for sprinkling
• --- --- olive oil for the vegetables
• 2 large red onions, sliced
• 3 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
• --- ---- fresh herbs (rosemary and/or thyme)
• 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted & chopped in quarters
• --- --- more olive oil to drizzle on top

Instructions

1. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Set aside in a warm place away from drafts until the yeast is forming small bubbles, about 15 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 TBSP sea salt, ½ cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 3 more minutes on medium speed until the dough becomes smooth and soft. If the dough feels sticky or tacky, sprinkle it with some more flour.
3. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for a few minutes, adding more flour if necessary.
4. Coat the inside of the mixing bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
5. Coat two sheet pans (13” x 9” x 1” jelly roll pans) with the remaining ½ cup olive oil.
6. Place the dough onto the pans and begin pressing it out (with the tips of your fingers) to fit the size of the pans. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pans. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make small dimples all the way through the dough (but on the boarder). Put the dough in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 °F and prepare the topping.
7. In a large skillet, caramelize the sliced onions by slowly cooking them, uncovered, in some olive oil with a sprinkle of salt, until they are lightly browned, stirring occasionally (but not too often). Add the tomatoes and cook briefly. Turn off the heat and add the fresh herbs and Kalamata olives (or, any favorite olives). Set aside.
8. Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle some olive oil on top. Bake the foccacie for about 10 minutes and then spread the caramelized onions, tomatoes, fresh herbs and olives mixture over the two pans. Bake them for another 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove the pans from the oven and let them cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Notes

You can easily scale down the recipe to make only one pan. You can also save half of the dough to use later in the week or put in the freezer for another time.

3.5.3240