High hydration focaccia with cherry tomatoes and olives, a tasty and simple recipe, ideal to prepare as an appetizer. In this recipe, we will use fresh classic yeast, as it’s an idea that requires a few hours of rising. The final effect will be a unique softness for a well-aerated and flavorful dough. It had been a while since I thought about returning to baking. Unfortunately, time doesn’t always allow me, but as soon as I manage to have a day just for me and my kitchen, the passion returns. On the blog, you will find some similar ideas to copy, I leave them below, and at the end of the description and steps, I answer the most common questions about this type of recipe.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 1 pan for 8 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups Manitoba flour
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh yeast
- 1 3/4 tsp fine salt
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar (level)
- 2 1/8 cups water (lukewarm)
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- 7 oz green olives (pitted)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
Steps
To make the High Hydration Focaccia with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water after slightly breaking it with your hand. Stir and wait a few minutes for foam to form on the surface.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of the stand mixer, pour the flours and quickly mix them with a fork. Add the dissolved yeast in water.
Add the extra virgin olive oil and start mixing with the dough hook of the stand mixer. As they begin to blend, add the salt and continue to work what will be a very soft, almost liquid dough.
Cover and let rise for an hour. Subsequently, every 30 minutes, fold the dough in the bowl using a spoon. Pull the dough from the edges of the bowl toward the center and cover it again, then fold as explained above.
After this time, grease a baking pan well and spread the dough to the edges.
Let rest, still covered, and in the meantime wash and cut the cherry tomatoes and drain and dry the pitted olives. Distribute them over the pizza, drizzle the surface with another drizzle of oil, and bake at 392°F for 30 minutes in a preheated fan oven.
A little tip, check the cooking from time to time after the time I’ve indicated because every oven has its characteristics, and perhaps my timings are not correct for you. Excellent hot or cold, the focaccia is also ideal as an appetizer for dinner parties.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use other ingredients to top the focaccia?
Of course, mine is just a basic idea, but you can also garnish it with melting mozzarella combined with cooked ham and artichokes, for example.
