I’ve been working on developing an easy focaccia recipe. My experimentation began when I saw a recipe in a popular food magazine this past summer for a focaccia that was topped with tomatoes, garlic, rosemary and basil. That sounded delicious to me but because it was summer, I didn’t want to take the time to make the dough, do the kneading and wait for a couple of risings and so I decided to start by using frozen bread dough to save time and work.
I have now made it four times or so, making changes to the recipe every time that I make it. I still want to make one last change and that will be to form it into a round loaf and bake it on a cookie sheet. This is the perfect bread to serve with Italian-American foods like Lasagna or Spaghetti and Meatballs. It's also a nice accompaniment to a hot bowl of soup.
Basil, Rosemary and Tomato Focaccia
1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium size plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1. Place thawed dough on floured surface; lightly cover with plastic wrap.
2. Combine oil and garlic in small saucepan. Cook stirring constantly over medium-low heat until garlic is golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, place tomatoes in colander set over large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Let stand 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water. Transfer to paper towels; drain well.
4. Brush bottom of 13x9-inch pan lightly with garlic oil.
5. Roll dough to a 13x9-inch rectangle and place in baking dish. If dough is still too elastic, let rest 5 to 10 minutes and try to roll it again.
6. Make several holes in dough about 1-inch apart with fingertips or with handle of wooden spoon. Brush top with remaining garlic oil. Sprinkle dough with rosemary. Arrange tomato slices over top. Sprinkle with basil and remaining 1 teaspoon coarse salt.
7. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place 1 hour or longer until double in size. (This bread will still remain very flat.)
8. Heat oven to 400°F. Remove plastic wrap and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Transfer to cooling rack. Cool slightly. Cut into squares.
12 servings