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Taking time to live well
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Photography by Sam Folan

Recipe | Tomato Focaccia

Iona Bower September 15, 2022

Almost as much joy to bake as it is to eat. Use cherry tomatoes to get juicy little planets of blistered and sweet tomatoes in the surface of the bread, some sinking into the doughy dimples, and some not.

Makes 1 focaccia

330ml lukewarm water
7g fast-action dried yeast
500g strong white bread flour
6 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp salt
200g cherry tomatoes, some halved, some not
8 sage leaves or 3 rosemary sprigs, torn
Generous ½ tsp flaky sea salt

1 Stir together the water and yeast and leave it to sit for 5-10 mins, or until it becomes foamy.

2 When it’s ready, tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast mixture, mixing vigorously, either by hand or using the dough hook on a kitchen mixer for a minute or so, then add 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the salt. Continue mixing for a further 10 mins, or until the dough becomes less sticky, smoother and more cohesive.

3 Brush a bowl with olive oil and tip in the dough. Cover and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1-1½ hrs, until it has nearly doubled in size.

4 Once proved, brush a deep-sided baking pan with a little olive oil, then tip the risen dough into the pan. Pull the dough towards the edges of the pan and use your fingertips to dimple it in places, keeping some spots still nicely aerated. Add about 1 tbsp more of olive oil over the surface of the dough, cover and leave to prove once more for about another 20 mins.

5 Preheat the oven to 230C/Fan 210C/Gas 8. Add the cherry tomatoes to the dough, squeezing some deep into pockets and leaving others protruding out a little more. Do the same with the sage leaves or torn rosemary sprigs, then sprinkle over the flaky sea salt.

6 Bake the dough in the very hot oven for about 25 mins, or until the crust is golden brown and puffed around edges.

7 Once baked, remove the focaccia from the oven and immediately drench it with the remaining olive oil, then allow it to cool for at least 10-15 mins before slicing.The loaf should sound hollow when it is tapped on the underside.

Taken from Tomato by Claire Thomson (Quadrille) Photography: Sam Folan

Find more tomato recipes from the book above in our September issue, including Tomato Carpaccio with Tapenade, Roasted Tomato Falafels with Tomato Yogurt and a Borscht.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from our September issue…

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Quiz | Which member of The Famous Five are you?
Sep 24, 2022
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Sep 17, 2022
How To | Have a Secret Day Off
Sep 17, 2022
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Sep 15, 2022
Recipe | Tomato Focaccia
Sep 15, 2022
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More tomato recipes for late summer suppers…

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Aug 10, 2024
The Rules | Tomato Sandwiches
Aug 10, 2024
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Sep 16, 2023
Recipe | Green Tomato Salsa
Sep 16, 2023
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Jul 15, 2023
Recipe | Tomato Tatin with Thyme Honey
Jul 15, 2023
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InEating Tagstomatoes, summer recipes, glut, bread, focaccia, lunch, issue 123
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Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

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See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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