Make the Perfect Tomato and Herb Sourdough Focaccia
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Tomato and basil don’t just go well together in flavor. They also thrive when they grow together! Rosemary is the welcome third wheel to this party. She grows wild wherever she’s planted, but she also protects her friends from bugs and critters. So, in honor of these lifelong besties, today, we’re making tomato and herb sourdough focaccia.
Tomatoes, Basil, and Rosemary = Best Friends Forever
Our summer garden is bursting with ripe, sweet, black cherry tomatoes and juicy, little sweet one-hundreds. Under our tomato A-frame, we have a row of happy basil plants. Did you know that basil’s fragrance is supposed to ward off the flies from attacking your tomatoes? Supposedly, basil detracts hornworms, too, but I believe that less since we’ve had a few of those gross things on our peppers and tomatoes.
Now, we also have a lot of rosemary. When it heats up in the summer sun, rosemary smells glorious. It’s an aromatherapy experience in our garden. Rosemary’s fragrance deters bunnies and bugs. So, it powers up the basil in keeping the garden safe.
When it comes to picking complementary flavors to top delicious summer focaccia, it’s a no-brainer. Sun-ripe tomatoes, basil, and rosemary – all warm, fragrant, sweet, and earthy – perfect for topping focaccia.
The Art of Sourdough Focaccia
The base of our tomato and herb sourdough focaccia is, of course, the sourdough focaccia itself. That’s where most of our effort is going to go. But don’t worry! It’s not that hard.
Start with a fed sourdough starter that passes the float test. Mine needed to be fed the night before at 9 pm (bedtime), and it was left on the counter at room temperature overnight. In the morning, it was ready to go. If you need more information about sourdough starter, check out my beginner’s guide here.
Measuring Sourdough Ingredients Properly
Now, I am a big fan of measuring with cups. But when it comes to sourdough bread, it’s kind of necessary to use weight over volume. We want to be pretty exact. And maybe, one day, when I have free time and energy, I’ll switch all my recipes to weights for our international folks. For now, everything is measured in American cups/spoons, except some of my bread recipes, like this one.
So, first thing in the morning, grab your kitchen scale. I started this at 8 am. If you don’t have one, grab the link in my Tool Kit below. Start by taring your mixing bowl. This sets your measure at zero even with the weight of the bowl.
We need to measure in 115 g of fed, happy sourdough starter. To that, you’re going to tare and add in 400 g of 100ºF (38ºC) water. Whisk that up really well. Then, tare your scale again, and add in 610 g of all-purpose flour. On top of the flour, add 1 tsp of pink Himalayan salt. The salt is more subjective, so I just used a spoon. You can use more or less, according to your taste.
Mixing Sourdough the Easiest Way
This is a wet dough, so I prefer to mix in a stand mixer. Otherwise, you’re going to be hand-kneading with sticky hands for ages. Start by mixing on the slowest setting (Stir) until there is no remaining loose dry mix. Turn the speed up to medium (I alternated between 4 and 6) for about 10 minutes, or until the dough has fully pulled away from the bowl and is climbing your hook.
At this point, you need to oil a work surface and turn the dough out. Note that I said “oil” and not “flour.” Do not flour your work surface. This step is all about incorporating the oil into the dough properly. Once the dough is turned out, let it rest for 5 minutes to loosen up a little.
I add one tablespoon to the counter and pour one more tablespoon into my hands, rub it into my palms and the top of the dough. Then, I knead the oil into the dough for about 5 minutes or until the counter and dough start to stick to each other.
Proofing Sourdough Focaccia
Now, I turn the dough in my hands to form a tight skin on the top. I drop that into a well-oiled bowl and cover it with an airtight lid. The dough is going to proof for 4 to 6 hours. You’ll find that in the summer when it’s nice and warm, 4 hours is usually enough. In the winter, it will take closer to 6 hours to see your dough bubble up.
Once the dough is almost doubled in volume, you’ll want to oil a dark metal 9×13 pan. Why, yes, there IS a lot of oil in this recipe! That is the beauty of focaccia.
Add the dough to the oiled pan, tight skin side up. Press the dough to the corners. If it resists stretching to the full length and width of the pan, cover it and let it rest for 5 minutes. Try stretching it again. Repeat the 5-minute rests and stretching until you can get the dough to fill the bottom of your 9×13. Cover the pan with an airtight lid or plastic wrap for 2 to 3 hours or until you see bubbles forming.
The Trademark Focaccia Dimples
After your dough has been proofed again, you’re ready to add the trademark dimples (this is also when you need to start preheating your oven to 425ºF). To do this, drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil on top (there is seriously soooo much oil in this recipe). Use your hands to rub the oil over the whole surface. This should evenly distribute the oil on the bread and your hands. You don’t want the dough to stick to you when you’re poking it.
Using all your fingers, poke the dough to form dimples. Bubbles may rise up, but do not pop them. Just keep poking in dimples until you’re happy with the appearance. The oil should fill in the dimples a little bit. If not, you can add more.
Wash your hands, and now it’s time to add the tomatoes and herbs!
How to Decorate Tomato and Herb Sourdough Focaccia
To turn this into tomato and herb sourdough focaccia, well, you need to add tomatoes and herbs. So, let’s start with a handful of cherry tomatoes, a few leaves of basil, and a sprig of rosemary. Halve the tomatoes and settle the halves into some of the dimples.
You can make a pretty design, or you can place them at random. You may also want to use more or less than the recipe calls for. The only important thing is to place the tomatoes skin side down. You want the juicy flesh facing out to avoid a loaf of soggy bread.
For the basil and rosemary, you can chop them or leave the leaves whole. I discard the stems because the texture is no fun to eat. This is the same reason I take my tomatoes off the vine. Who wants to pick stems out of their bread before they eat it?
Anyway, whether your leaves are whole or chopped is entirely your preference. Decorate your bread however you want! You may also want to reserve some fresh herbs to add when the loaf comes out. Before you pop the focaccia in the oven, sprinkle the whole surface with your favorite salt.
I always use pink Himalayan salt. However, if you have flaky sea salt on hand, *chef’s kiss* use that!
Baking Your Tomato and Herb Sourdough Focaccia
We’re on our way to fluffy, fragrant tomato and herb sourdough focaccia. All that is left is to bake it! Pop the 9×13 pan into a 425ºF (220ºC) oven for 25 minutes.
Here’s a note to warn you that the herbs on top are going to shrivel up and look a bit burned. They’re not, don’t worry. But that’s why you might want to add a little fresh herbage when it comes out of the oven.
I think it smells like Christmas while it’s baking. It’s the magic of rosemary and basil; together, they smell like a pine forest.
Let the loaf cool in the pan until it’s cool enough to touch. Then, transfer the loaf to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Fun Things to Do with Tomato and Herb Sourdough Focaccia
Now that you have this big beautiful bread, what do you do with it? Well, you can rip chunks of it off and eat it straight. You can dip it in olive oil (because, hey, we’ve already put like a cup of oil in this thing… what’s a little more?).
If you’re really feeling yourself, try making a sandwich. Cut a square off the loaf and slice it in half (tomato-herb side on top, and crusty, dimpled, pan side on the bottom). Spread some mayo on one half, and then pile it high with your favorite deli meat and cheese. Add more fresh tomato, more fresh basil, and a bit of lettuce.
Woooo, it’s yummy! I have also sandwiched an egg and mayo into a bit of my bread for a bonkers tasty breakfast. That makes for a very simple but super satisfying meal.
If you fear the loaf going stale, you could also make some flavorful croutons. Cut a portion of the loaf into 1-inch chunks. Spread them on a baking sheet, and bake at 250ºF for at least an hour. Check frequently to make sure your cubes are toasting and drying out sufficiently.
Once you have croutons, you can turn them into a delicious Panzanella, top a salad or a bowl of soup with them, or you can use them to make holiday stuffing. It’s a very diverse treat!
More Sourdough Recipes!
For more sourdough fun, here are some awesome recipes:
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sourdough PB&J Bars
- Lazy Sourdough Bread
- Honey Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
The Tomato and Herb Sourdough Focaccia Tool Kit
I’ve mentioned a few tools in this post that are pretty necessary for making this recipe. Here are my recommendations:
- Kitchenaid Stand Mixer with Hook
- Large mixing bowl with lid for proofing
- Dark metal 9×13 pan
- Kitchen scale
- Wire cooling rack
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
Tomato and Herb Sourdough Focaccia
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Hook Attachment
- Large mixing bowl with lid
- 9×13 dark metal pan
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Kitchen Scale
Ingredients
- 115 g sourdough starter
- 400 g water 100ºF
- 610 g all purpose flour
- 1 tsp pink himalayan salt (plus more for sprinkling)
- 7 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves recommended
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves recommended
Instructions
- Whisk together the sourdough starter and water in the bowl of your stand mixer. Measure in the flour and salt, and stir to combine at low speed.
- Once combined, knead on medium speed (4-6) for about 10 minutes or until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and climbs the hook.
- Use 1 Tablespoon of oil to lubricate your work surface, and turn the dough out onto the oiled surface. Then, drizzle an additional 1 Tablespoon on top. Knead with your hands for 5 minutes until the oil is worked in, or until the dough starts to stick to the counter.
- Form a ball, and move to a large bowl coated with 1 Tablespoon of oil. Cover with airtight lid, and proof for 4 to 6 hours or until doubled in size.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of oil to a 9×13 pan and rub it into the bottom and sides. Turn the dough out into the pan and stretch it to fit the bottom.
- If dough resists stretching, let it rest for 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat until your dough has stretched to fit the pan. Cover and proof again for 2 hours or until visible bubbles form.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Halve your tomatoes and chop the herbs, as desired. Use as much as you want, the measurements above are loose recommendations.
- Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of oil on top of the loaf, and rub it over the surface with your hands until your hands and the focaccia are well-coated. Use your fingers to press dimples into the surface of the bread.
- Stud the dimples with halved tomatoes, with the cut side facing up. Sprinkle the herbs or create a design as you wish. Finally, sprinkle the top of the loaf evenly with a healthy pinch or two of salt, to your preference.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pan until it's comfortable to touch. Then, remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before serving.
