Back to Basics-Homemade Focaccia Bread Recipe (Modify with Cherry Tomatoes + Bocconcini)

This Focaccia Bread Recipe adapted from ricardocuisine.com looks so artisan and fancy but you know what? It’s so easy and simple to make that you can make it every single day from simple and fresh ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!

A good bread recipe is a recipe box staple. Whenever I walk by the bakery, I’m always tempted by the beautiful, fluffy loaves of focaccia bread topped with cloves of garlic, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, sea salt and other delicious toppings. Not surprisingly, these beautiful loaves always wind up making their way into my grocery cart.

However, focaccia is a really easy bread to make at home. Unlike many other artisanal baked goods, focaccia doesn’t need any fancy ingredients and you most likely have everything you need in your kitchen right now.

Making focaccia is so simple and quick that you can make it everyday. I will often make the dough in the morning, let it rise during the day while I’m at work, and then bake a beautiful loaf to go with dinner. And it’s so versatile; you can serve it as a side with pasta, stews, chicken, soups, fish…Or as sandwiches with deli meats (I particularly like it with prosciutto), fresh basil, tomatoes, and cheese. Or even just on it’s own with a salad. Add some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and you’re good to go.

I encourage you to play with this recipe; get creative and invent your own toppings to sprinkle on top. Have fun with it, because really, isn’t playing with flavors the best part of cooking?

A few of my favorite toppings are:

• Rosemary
• Fleur de sel
• Sundried Tomatoes
• Sliced green olives
• Sliced or minced garlic
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Parmesan
• Bocconcini
• Cheddar
• Jalapeños 

Read on for this delicious homemade focaccia bread recipe!

Homemade Focaccia Bread Recipe (Modified with Cherry Tomatoes & Bocconcini)   

Modified from: RicardoCuisine.com

Generously serves 8 people

Ingredients for the dough

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup of olive oil (for baking sheet)

Ingredient for the cherry tomato and bocconcini topping

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups of your favorite cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Fleur de sel
• Pepper
• Handful of Bocconcini

Dough Preparation

1. In a large bowl with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer using the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until a soft ball forms. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes on a floured work surface or in the stand mixer.

2. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. I like brushing the dough with a bit of olive oil as well. Then cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let rest in a warm, humid place for 1 hour (or more), or until the dough has doubled in size.

Focaccia Preparation

1. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 230 °C (450 °F).

2. On a 43 x 30-cm (17 x 12-inch) baking sheet, pour 125 ml (½ cup) of oil. Add dough and spread dough on the whole surface of the sheet with your fingers, turning it a few times to cover thoroughly with oil. Make small cavities in dough with your fingertips. Let rise for 30 minutes.

3. While the dough rises, combine tomatoes in a bowl with remaining oil.

4. After the dough rises, spread the herbs, garlic and tomatoes evenly over the entire surface. Generously season with salt and pepper. 

5.Bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and top with sliced bocconcini then return to oven and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow dough to absorb oil. Cut and serve.

Homemade Focaccia Bread Recipe Card(Modified with Cherry Tomatoes & Bocconcini)

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Ingredients for the dough

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil (for baking sheet)

Make it cherry tomato and bocconcini focaccia with

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups favorite cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• Fleur de sel
• Pepper
• Handful of Bocconcini

Instructions

Dough Preparation

• In a large bowl with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer using the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until a soft ball forms. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes on a floured work surface or in the stand mixer.
• Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. I like brushing the dough with a bit of olive oil as well. Then cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let rest in a warm, humid place for 1 hour (or more), or until the dough has doubled in size.

Focaccia Preparation

• With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 230 °C (450 °F).
• On a 43 x 30-cm (17 x 12-inch) baking sheet, pour 125 ml (½ cup) of oil. Add dough and spread dough on the whole surface of the sheet with your fingers, turning it a few times to cover thoroughly with oil. Make small cavities in dough with your fingertips. Let rise for 30 minutes.
• While the dough rises, combine tomatoes in a bowl with remaining oil.
• After the dough rises, spread the herbs, garlic and tomatoes evenly over the entire surface. Generously season with salt and pepper. 
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and top with sliced bocconcini then return to oven and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow dough to absorb oil. Cut and serve.
• Modify with your own toppings like: rosemary, fleur de sel, sundried Tomatoes, sliced green olives, sliced or minced garlic, cherry tomatoes, parmesan, bocconcini, cheddar, jalapeños

Love this recipe?Follow @hellocreativef for even more fun party ideas!

I don’t know about you, but I often fall into the trap of making the same dinners over and over. So I’m always looking for inspiration for new meals ideas. I love browsing through the recipes at Ricardo Cuisine to get ideas that I know my family will love! The site is easily organized so that you can browse through main courses, appetizers or desserts. It even has recipes broken out by ingredients so that it’s easy to find inspiration for that flat of eggs, or pork tenderloin sitting in your fridge. Moreover, it even has a section with vegetarian meals for those looking for inspiration for #MeatlessMonday. 

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Disclosure: Thank you to our friends at Ricardo Cuisine for working with us on this post. As with all posts on Hello Creative Family, all thoughts and opinions are 100% our own.

Tell us… What toppings would you put on your homemade focaccia?