Serves a Crowd

Heirloom Tomato Basil Focaccia

July 25, 2010
4
4 Ratings
  • Serves 1 Heirloom Tomato Focaccia
Author Notes

Ripe heirloom tomatoes bubble and brown amid sweet basil, crunchy pine nuts, and melted parmigiano-reggiano cheese on the fluffy golden crust of this focaccia. I love the smell of freshly baked bread filling my home each time I make this focaccia. Garden Gate Kate —Garden Gate Kate

Test Kitchen Notes

This is a tasty focaccia -- with the classic combination of tomatoes, pine nuts, parmesan and basil, you almost can’t go wrong. The crust is easy enough for an inexperienced baker to manage and it has a whole wheat toothsomeness that I really enjoy, but you might gauge the white to wheat ratio based on your preference. I tore additional fresh basil over the focaccia after baking and we had it with burrata, an arugula and braesola salad and a bottle of Barbaresco. It made for a perfect Friday night dinner. – aargersi —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 6 small ripe heirloom tomatoes
  • sea salt for sprinkling on tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/3 cup warm water
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • 6 fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
Directions
  1. Cut tomatoes in 1/4 inch slices and discard seeds. Sprinkle tomato slices with sea salt on both sides and let drain in a colander to remove excess moisture. Let set while making focaccia dough.
  2. Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to foam. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 2 teaspoons olive oil, whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour until the dough comes together. Knead on a well floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  4. Punch down dough and place on an oiled baking sheet, forming into an oval or circle. Use the tips of your fingers to make indentations all over the dough spaced about 1 inch apart. Drizzle the focaccia with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Space the tomatoes evenly across the surface of the focaccia, then sprinkle the basil leaves, pine nuts, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese over the top. Let rise for 10 minutes
  5. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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1 Review

cheese1227 July 26, 2010
This is beautiful!!