Bread Focaccia Pizza

Potato and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

February 3, 2021 by Marisa 2 Comments

This Potato and Rosemary Focaccia bread recipe is extremely light, airy and ever so fluffy. It rises beautifully and holds up well to the topping of thinly sliced layered potatoes. Both the dough and sliced red potatoes are brushed with an aromatic garlic and rosemary oil just before it hits the oven.

If putting mashed potatoes in your bread dough seems somewhat odd to you, then you might just be missing out on the most soft focaccia dough ever.

For those unfamiliar with focaccia, (pronounced foe-kah-cha), it’s an Italian flatbread baked in a sheet pan and sometimes referred to as pizza bianca.

It is similar in style to pizza. But unlike pizza which is baked right after the first rise, focaccia goes through a second rise after the dough is punched down and stretched out.

Generally all it needs after dimpling the dough, is a generous drizzle of some good quality olive oil, coarse salt and rosemary.

However, today we’re adding some paper thin slices of potatoes and a brushing of rosemary garlic oil. Both over the dimpled dough and sliced potatoes.

The thin baked potatoes covering the dough will take on a pretty crinkled appearance.

Let’s get started with this easy to make Italian Potato and Rosemary Focaccia Bread recipe!

How To Make Potatoes and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

You’ll first need to make some mashed potatoes and then simply set it aside while you activate your yeast.

Step One: In a large bowl combine together the sugar with the warm water (temperature should be between 100-110 F or 40 C).

Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle in the yeast and let this stand until frothy for about 10 minutes.

Step Two: Once frothy, stir in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Step Three: Stir the mashed potatoes into the yeast mixture. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to break up large clumps of mashed potatoes.

Step Four: Stir in just enough of the flour until you have a slightly sticky dough. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and dust your hands with flour. Knead the dough for about 8 minutes while adding in as much of the remaining flour as necessary to achieve a smooth and elastic dough.

Step Five: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl while turning to grease all over. Cover with cling wrap. Let the dough rise in a draft free area for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Step Six: Punch down the dough and stretch it out with greased hands onto your prepared baking sheet. Cover with cling wrap and let the dough rise for another hour.

Step Seven: Gently poke the dough with lightly greased fingertips. Brush half of the oil mixture over the top of the dough.

Step Eight: Place the sliced potatoes over the focaccia dough, in an overlapping pattern. Brush the top of the potatoes with the remaining rosemary oil.

Step Nine: Bake the potato focaccia in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F. for approximately 40 minutes. Once ready, the focaccia will have golden brown crusty edges.

What is Focaccia Served With?

This focaccia topped with potatoes is simply glorious all on its own and feeds a hungry crowd.

You can serve it for brunch and even a light lunch with a side salad. It’s also equally wonderful served alongside a steaming bowl of soup.

Try nestling two slices together with mortadella and you’ll have one delicious, satisfying sandwich.

You can also add your favourite leafy greens in between the slices. Arugula, with its peppery tangy flavour is one of my absolute favourite.

If you love a kick of intense tomato flavour, try adding a couple of dry tomato slices in your focaccia sandwich. It’s delish!

Variations On Traditional Focaccia Bread

There are many variations on the ever popular Italian flat bread with a wide range of choice for toppings. And it needn’t even be baked in a sheet pan.

You can also bake this Italian-style bread in cast iron skillets as seen in my Chickpea Red Onion Focaccia which is also a potato based dough. This iron skillet flat bread is topped with caramelized onions, some crunchy chickpeas and sweet golden raisins.

Aside from the savoury varieties, you’ll also find focaccia dolce or rather Schiacciata con l’uva. A sweet bread traditionally made during the grape harvest in Tuscany.

The base of this flatbread is topped with grapes, sprinkled with sugar, rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil. And then repeated with a second layer. It’s a pure delicacy!

Storing Leftover Potato Focaccia Bread

Focaccia is at it’s best the same day straight from the oven with its both soft and crispy bite. Any leftovers can be wrapped and placed in a ziplock bag or aluminium foil and stored either in the fridge or freezer.

You can revive its freshness by reheating the slices in the oven or even a toaster oven. Or simply turn them into breadcrumbs the following day. But you’ll first have to remove the potato toppings before crumbling the flatbread.

If you make this Potato and Rosemary Focaccia Bread recipe, remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Happy Cooking!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Potato and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

A soft and fluffy focaccia bread recipe with potatoes and rosemary. This Italian-style flatbread is both easy to make and a crowd pleasing snack.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Lunch Supper Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Potato Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Servings:

Calories: 167kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

Ingredients For The Mashed Potatoes

2 ½ cups diced potatoes
1 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt

Ingredients For The Focaccia Dough

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup warm water
8 grams active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 ½ to 4 cups all purpose flour approximately
3 tablespoons cornmeal approximately to cover the sheet pan

Ingredients For The Toppings

1/3 cup extra virgin oil oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces thinly sliced red potatoes approximately 2 large potatoes

Instructions

Mashed Potatoes

Place the diced potatoes in a stock pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil then lower the heat and cook the potatoes till fork tender.
Drain the potatoes and transfer back into the pot.
Add in 1 teaspoon of salt and mash the potatoes well.
Set aside to cool while you continue with the recipe.

How To Make Potato Focaccia Dough

Place the granulated sugar and the warm water in a large bowl.
Stir to dissolve the sugar, completely.
Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let this stand for approximately 10 minutes, or until frothy.
Once the yeast turns frothy, stir in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Stir the reserved mashed potato mixture into the yeast mixture while breaking up the large clumps of mashed potatoes with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Stir in 3 cups of the flour, until you have a slightly sticky dough.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface.
Dust your hands with flour and start kneading the dough while adding in as much of the remaining flour as necessary in order to prevent sticking or until smooth and elastic.
This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.

The First Rise

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let the dough rise in a draft free area, until it has doubled in size, for about 1 hour.

The Second Rise

Grease a 15x10 inch rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the cornmeal.
Punch down the dough and with greased fingers spread the dough out evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. (greasing your fingers will help to spread out the dough with minimum fuss)
Cover the dough with cling wrap and let the dough rise for an additional 60 minutes or until it has risen slightly higher than the edge of your pan.

For The Potato Rosemary Topping

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.
With greased fingers, gently poke the dough while making indentations all over the dough.
With a pastry brush, gently brush half of the rosemary olive oil mixture over the dough.
Place the sliced potatoes over the dough in a slightly over lapping pattern.
Brush the tops of the potatoes with the remaining rosemary oil.

Baking The Potato Rosemary Focaccia

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F.
Bake the potato focaccia in the bottom third rack of your oven for about 40 minutes. This will ensure a crispy and crunchy underside.
When ready the bottom crust and edges will have a golden brown colour and the potato toppings will be nice and tender.
You might also have some crispy edged potatoes depending on how thinly you sliced the potatoes.
While the focaccia is still warm, run a knife around the edges to loosen the flat bread.
Then transfer the focaccia onto a rack to cool slightly. Just a few minutes.
At this point you can either cut the focaccia into squares using kitchen scissors or transfer onto a cutting board and slice with a long serrated knife.
Enjoy while still warm from the oven!

Nutrition

Pizza with sausage and sweet peppers

March 9, 2019 by Marisa 6 Comments

A thick crust Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers is my all time favourite kind of pizza. It’s topped with an easy to make homemade tomato sauce! Mildly spicy Italian sausages are scattered over the mozzarella layers. And, then topped with pan roasted sweet red bell peppers. It bakes up beautifully with a crispy outer layer. Delicioso!

This Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers post was originally published February 9, 2015. It’s been updated with new photos and content and republished March 9, 2019.

Pizza has got to be one of the most popular dishes to come out of Italy. There are endless possibilities!

From thin crust to thick crust and with a large variety of cheeses to choose from as well as sauces and toppings. It’s so much fun to make and in less time than you might think.

This pizza with sausage and sweet peppers is a family favourite. The combination of mildly spicy sausage and pan roasted sweet red bell peppers is a delicious combination. The dough bakes up just beautifully! It’s soft and airy on the inside with a crunchy, crispy outer layer.

As with most traditional Italian mammas, mine would make pizza once a week for us. There was no ordering in or take out in our family! It simply was not done!

She would say “che vergogna”! What a disgrace! So now, I too make my own pizza once a week. Like… religiously!

If you have never made pizza before do give it a try. There is something so comforting from creating dough from scratch!

With just a few simple ingredients listed below, you literally have fresh homemade pizza dough in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough

warm water
extra virgin olive oil
all purpose flour
salt
instant yeast
eggs

It’s a wonderful egg based dough!

You’ll need to let it rise in a draft free place.

On a sunny day I place my bowl of pizza dough on my dinning table where the sun comes shining through. It rises beautifully and works every time ! On a not so sunny day I let my dough rise on my kitchen counter right under one of the spotlights from underneath the kitchen cabinets. This works like a charm!

Ingredients For Pizza Toppings

Italian sausages
extra virgin olive oil
onions
red bell peppers
mozzarella

I first brown my my meat in a skillet with a little oil, just to get them a little caramelized on the edges. Them I simply transfer the browned meat to a plate so that I can use the same skillet to pan roast the veggies. Why dirty another skillet…right?

The pan roasted sweet bell peppers and onions are hands down my favourite pizza toppings.

You can, however, simply slice the bell peppers and layer them over the pizza.

In this case I would then brown the sausage with the sliced onions in the same pan.

Either way it’s sure to be delicious!

Ingredients For Homemade Pizza Sauce

ground tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
garlic cloves
fresh or dried herbs (oregano, basil and parsley)
salt and black pepper

The ingredients are pretty straight forward and which you probably already have on hand.

I love the San Marzano tomatoes as these are quite flavourful and sweeter then other varieties. They also have a low acidity level and really don’t have that many seeds in them.

You can use either fresh or dried herbs. Whichever is at your most convenient is quite fine.

The sauce yields approximately 3 1/2 cups. However you will only need 1 1/4 cup to top the 2 large pizzas. You can freeze the rest for future use for up to 6 months. But I’m quite confident you won’t be waiting that long to make pizza again!

So here you have my traditional Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers. It’s pure comfort food at my house and we so look forward to this treat every single week!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Print Recipe

0 from 0 votes

Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers

Pizza with Sausage and Sweet Peppers and a homemade tomato sauce. This thick crust pizza is topped with Italian sausages and pan roasted red bell peppers.

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time25 mins

Resting Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time1 hr 28 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: homemade pizza sauce, italian sausage, pizza, sweet peppers

Servings: 16 inch pizzas

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

PIZZA DOUGH

2 cups warm water
4 tbs olive oil
4 to 5 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp salt I use fine sea salt
1 packet "quick rise" instant yeast I use Fleischmann's 8 grams
2 large eggs

PIZZA SAUCE

1 28 ounes ground tomatoes preferably San Marzano
5 cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp each of dried oregano, basil and parsley if using fresh, increase to 1 tbs each
salt and pepper to your taste

PIZZA TOPPING

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3 links of mild Italian sausage about 1 pound
2 medium onions sliced thinly
4 large red bell peppers cut to 1 inch pieces
4 cups grated or shredded mozzarella cheese or as much cheese as you like

Instructions

PIZZA DOUGH

In a medium size bowl, stir together 3 cups of the flour, salt and the yeast.
Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tbs of olive oil in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Take note that if your water is not warm enough the yeast will not activate. If it's too hot it will kill the yeast.
Stir the warm liquids in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon.
Add in the 2 eggs and stir till very well combined.
Stir in another cup of flour.
Transfer the dough onto a well floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes working in the last cup of flour a bit at a time just until the dough is soft and smooth. You may not even need the whole last cup of flour.
Grease a large bowl with some olive oil and place your pizza dough in the greased bowl turning the dough to grease all over.
Cover with cling wrap and let it rise till it doubles in size, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
While the dough is rising prepare the pizza sauce and toppings.

PIZZA SAUCE

Combine all the ingredients for the pizza sauce in a medium sized bowl and stir until well combined then set aside.
You will only need half of the prepared pizza sauce divided among the two pizzas. Freeze and store the remaining half for the next use.

PIZZA TOPPING

Heat the olive oil in a fry pan and brown the sausage while breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the sausage to a large plate and set aside.
Using the same frying pan, add in the cut sweet bell peppers and onions.
Pan roast the veggies on medium high heat for about 7 minutes with a dash of salt and pepper, adding a little olive oil only if needed.
Set aside to cool.
When the dough has risen and doubled in size, transfer it onto a well floured counter and cut it in half.
Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out on a floured work surface using a floured rolling pin and roll to fit your pan.
Transfer the rolled pizza dough to your baking pan and repeat with the second half of the pizza dough.
Note that I use two 16" round perforated pans and I roll it out with a well floured rolling pin and on a floured counter.
If the dough seems to resist rolling just let it rest for a minute then continue rolling it out.
A perforated pizza pan does not need to be oiled. If you do not have a round perforated pizza pan you can use a cookie sheet which has been lightly greased.
Spread the reserved pizza sauce over the the pizza dough using the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle the 2 pizzas evenly with the grated mozzarella.
Top with the sautéed sausages and pan roasted veggies.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 425 degrees F, for about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Chickpea Red Onion Focaccia

January 26, 2019 by Marisa 14 Comments

A wonderfully soft and pillowy, Chickpea and Red Onion Focaccia topped with sweet golden raisins. This focaccia makes a delicious anytime snack or a complimentary side dish to a steaming bowl of soup.

Straight out of the oven comfort foods such focaccia are always met with much anticipation at my house.

The allure of freshly made bread or rather focaccia, which is essentially a flatbread has a broad appeal to both adults and young ones.

I especially love how and with very few ingredients you truly get so much. All it takes is some flour, yeast and water. A few add ins for flavour such as salt, sugar and olive oil and you have something so easily achieved in your own kitchen.

One other addition that bears mentioning here is mashed potatoes!

I can’t stress enough how the humble potato takes bread dough to a whole other level!

Surprisingly, it renders the dough so light, airy and fluffy. You immediately feel this as your kneading the dough. It’s like holding a pillowy soft cloud in your hands!

Well almost! And not that I know what a cloud feels like…but you get where I’m going with this!

You can top focaccia with just about anything!

A favourite sweet version of mine is Schiacciata Con L’uva, a sweet tuscan flatbread with grapes. Its a lip smacking delicacy that I simply never get enough of when the best coronation grapes are in season!

However, this time of the year is a perfect time to make do with a few good old pantry ingredients.

TOPPING FOR CHICKPEA RED ONION FOCACCIA

Adding raisins to savoury dishes was very common while growing up. Sweet plump raisins always made an appearance in calzone with greens such as my Swiss Chard Mozzarella Calzone.

To use raisins in this focaccia recipe, you’ll first want to plump them up by soaking them in hot water for about ten minutes. Then make sure to drain them, pat them dry and scatter over the focaccia before adding other toppings. This will ensure they don’t burn while nestled beneath the other toppings.

I adore caramelized onions and have often used them as a pizza topping. Take care to not cook them overmuch. You simply want them softened and translucent as they will continue to caramelize in the oven.

HOW TO PREP A PAN FOR FOCACCIA

I thought it would be a neat way to try focaccia in my cast iron pans.

I used 3, 8 inch round pans for this recipe but really any size pan will do. If all you have are rectangular rimmed baking sheets, those will work as well.

You can use one as large as 15 x 10, in which case it will yield one rectangular focaccia.

Which ever size you use, do grease your pans with oil and then sprinkle them with coarse cornmeal.

This will ensure crispy bottoms and edges and facilitates easy removal!

Enjoy as an appetizer or serve alongside your favourite salad or hot bowl of soup!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Print Recipe

0 from 0 votes

Chickpea Red Onion Focaccia

A wonderfully soft and pillowy, chickpea and red onion focaccia topped with sweet golden raisins. This focaccia makes a delicious anytime snack.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Bread, Main Meal

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Flatbread, Focaccia, Tuscan flatbread

Servings:

Calories: 458kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

FOCACCIA DOUGH

2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 cup warm water
1 8 gram pkg active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups mashed potatoes cooled
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour approximately
2 tablespoons coarse cornmeal

TOPPING

1 medium red onion thinly sliced
3/4 cup canned chickpeas drained, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup golden raisins
sprinkle of coarse sea salt for topping

Instructions

FOCACCIA DOUGH

Place the sugar and warm water together in a large bowl and stir to dissolve.
Sprinkle in the yeast and let this stand until frothy, for about 10 minutes.
Once it's frothy, stir in the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
In a small bowl, mix the mashed potatoes with the salt.
Stir the potato mixture into the yeast mixture until very well combined. (a whisk will actually work better here)
Gradually stir in the flour, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a well floured work surface.
With floured hands knead in as much of the remaining flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and has a slightly sticky feel. About 8 minutes.
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
Cover your dough with cling wrap and let it rise in a draft free space until it has doubled in size, for about 1 hour.
Grease 3, 8 inch cast iron skillets with oil and sprinkle with the coarse cornmeal.
Divide the focaccia dough into 3 equal portions and place into the prepared cast iron skillets.
Pat down the dough, stretching and pulling with your hands to reach the sides of the skillets
Cover the pans with greased cling wrap and and set aside to allow the dough to puff up to the rim of the pans for about 45 minutes to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized frying pan.
Add the sliced red onions to the frying pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Cook over low heat while stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with a little bit of hot water.
Allow to soak for about 10 minutes until the raisins plum up.
Drain the raisins and pat dry. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the cling wrap from the risen dough.
Scatter first the raisins over the dough then top with the chickpeas, the sautéed onions and using your fingers gently press down into the dough while making indentations.
Drizzle the tops with a little olive oil. (about 1 teaspoon over each focaccia)
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are crusty and the focaccia is golden brown.
Sprinkle a pinch or 2 of coarse sea salt over each focaccia while still warm.
Allow to cool a little before slicing and serving.

Nutrition

Schiacciata Con L’uva

September 14, 2018 by Marisa 49 Comments

Schiacciata con l’uva is a sweet flatbread with grapes. More commonly known as focaccia, this flatbread is a seasonal dish made yearly during the grape harvest in Tuscany.

This recipe was originally published in October of 2016 and republished September 14, 2018 with updated content and photos.

There is much to embrace with the arrival of Fall. As the days get cooler and the air turns crisp, I get this sudden urge to roll up my sleeves and delve into the magical world of bread making. Or any sort of baking for that matter and wanting only to come up for air well after the Christmas holidays. Is it just me or do any of you feel the same way?

A little about coronation grapes

This time of the year grocery stores and local farmer’s markets are laden with thin skinned, seedless coronation grapes. A rather regal name for these Ontario blue grapes is it not!

They are vibrant blue in colour much like their relative the concord grape and quite interchangeable when making schiacciata con l’uva. Also, they have a deliciously sweet taste that simply bursts in the mouth, making them a perfect choice for baking or even preserving.

The sweetness of the coronation grape pairs beautifully with the savoury rosemary. Once baked you’ll find they mimic the taste of grape jam on toast. Definitely a lip smacking and finger licking delicacy!

This Tuscan flatbread consists of two layers of dough which are sandwiched together with a filling of seedless blue grapes, a sprinkle of sugar, chopped rosemary and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and topped with more of the same filling.

It’s then baked to a golden brown perfection with yummy crispy edges that we all love.

You can slice and enjoy as is while still warm with the grapes oozing their irresistible sweet juices. Or simply dust the tops with a sprinkle of icing sugar for some extra sweetness.

Gather friends or family around your kitchen and bake some today! I’m sure it will become a new favourite seasonal recipe!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Print Recipe

0 from 0 votes

Schiacciata Con L'uva

Schiacciata con l'uva is a sweet flatbread with grapes, a seasonal dish that is traditionally made during the grape harvest in Tuscany.

Course: Tuscan Flatbread

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: pieces

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

Focaccia dough
2 cups water
4 tbs olive oil
4 to 5 cups of all purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 packet “quick rise” instant yeast Fleischmann’s 8 grams
Topping
2 cups grapes picked off the stem
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds or till lukewarm.
Stir the warm liquids in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.
Stir in another cup of flour till combined.
Invert the dough onto a well floured counter and knead for a few minutes, working in the last cup of flour a bit at a time just until the dough is soft and smooth. (I only used up to 1/2 cup of the remaining flour).
Grease a large bowl with some olive oil. Place your pizza dough in the greased bowl turning the dough to grease all over. Cover with saran wrap.
Let it rise till it doubles in size for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, in a draft free place. (on a sunny day I place my bowl in direct sunlight and this helps tremendously with the rising).
When your dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a floured work space.
Grease a 17x11 rimmed baking sheet (or any large baking sheet you have) with some olive oil and then lightly sprinkle evenly with cornmeal. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the pan and impart a lovely crunch.
Cut the dough in half and working with one piece at a time roll it out to the size of your pan. (its ok if it does not entirely reach the edges).
Place the first layer of rolled out dough on your prepared pan.
Layer 1 cup of the grapes, evenly spread, onto the dough while pressing them slightly into the dough.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary, evenly onto the first layer of dough. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.
Roll out the second piece of dough and layer it onto prepared first layer. Press down slightly and pinch the edges together.
Spread the remaining grapes over the top layer of dough, again pressing down into the dough.
Sprinkle with an additional 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary.
Drizzle more extra virgin olive oil evenly over the top layer.
Bake the flatbread in a preheated oven, at 350 degrees F, for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the dough is a nice golden brown and the grapes are oozing with delicious goodness.

Roasted Tomato Focaccia with Ricotta

August 24, 2018 by Marisa 17 Comments

This Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia makes a truly satisfying lunch with a side salad. It can also be enjoyed as a delicious appetizer before your main meal.

I’ve been loving lately these wonderfully sweet cherry tomatoes made even more so by oven roasting them till they’re slightly charred and pop open. The roasted tomatoes ooze out the most sweetest concentrated juices with their wonderful aromas permeating the air.

There are so many ways to use these roasted jewels as some of my Instagram friends can attest! You can snack on them as they are with some crusty Italian bread or tossed with your favourite pasta.

Some suggested slow roasting the tomatoes, storing them in jars filled with oil and kept in the refrigerator up to a month.

Usually, I simply top the roasted cheery tomatoes over ciabatta bread which makes a crowd pleasing appetizer. As seen with this Roasted Cherry Tomato Ricotta Bruschetta.

I’ve decided to switch it up today by baking some fresh focaccia bread which is essentially a flatbread and not difficult to put together.

The flatbread with its soft, airy textures and crusty outer layers is then slathered with a a creamy herbed ricotta mixture. I must say its truly mouthwatering on its own but we’re going for the “swoon factor” here!

What better way to do so then topping the flatbread with some juicy oven roasted cherry tomatoes! Oozing out all their caramelized goodness and ready to be sopped up…yummy!

You can enjoy the flatbreads with a side salad and call it a meal. We especially love them sliced into wedges and served as appetizers.

You can also make and bake the flatbreads ahead and freeze them till ready to use. This way you’ll have a yummy flatbread to enjoy at a moments notice!

Buon Appetito!

Print Recipe

0 from 0 votes

Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

Soft and airy focaccia bread with crusty outer layers, slathered with a a creamy herbed ricotta mixture and topped with oven roasted cherry tomatoes.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: focaccia with oven roasted tomatoes and ricotta

Servings:

Ingredients

Focaccia Dough

2 cups water
4 + 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 cups all purpose flour
8 grams quick rise instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

800 grams cherry tomatoes
6 cloves garlic smashed
4 springs oregano fresh
sprinkle salt and ground black pepper to your taste
olive oil for drizzling

Herbed Ricotta

600 grams ricotta
2 tablespoons oregano fresh
2 tablespoons thyme fresh
sprinkle of salt and pepper to your taste

Instructions

Focaccia Dough

Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave until lukewarm.
In a large bowl combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, salt, sugar and stir well.
Stir the warm liquids into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.
Stir in another cup of flour until combined.
Transfer the dough to a well floured work surface and knead for a few minutes while working in the remaining cup of flour a bit at a time, just until the dough is soft and smooth.
Grease a large bowl with oil and place your pizza dough in the greased bowl while turning the dough over to grease all over.
Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set aside to rise for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush lightly with olive oil
Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface and divide into 4 equal portions.
Transfer the portions to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2 on each sheet allowing enough space between the 2 portions.
Using your hands, push the dough towards the edges of the baking sheet while shaping it roughly to a 6x8 rectangle.
Cover with a clean dishcloth and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Uncover the focaccia dough and using your fingers press down to form indentations.
Stir together 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the minced garlic, oregano and brush over the surface of the focaccia.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Place the cherry tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Scatter with the smashed garlic, tuck in the sprigs of oregano, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil.
Roast in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes to 35 minutes.

Herbed Ricotta

Combine the ricotta, oregano, thyme wth salt and pepper in a bowl and stir well.

Assembling The Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

Slather the herbed ricotta mixture over the baked focaccia with equal portions.
Equally top with the oven roasted tomatoes.
Garnish with extra oregano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Slice, serve and enjoy!