
Tomato and Garlic Focaccia
EVENT: GUEST POST FOR EVERGREEN DISHES
Sometime back Jayashree, who blogs at EverGreen Dishes asked me to be a guest on her blog. I promised her that as soon as I got back from my trip to India I would make something for her blog. However, time just flew, with me falling sick and then with Navratri and now Diwali preparations. However, I feel bad when I’ve made a commitment and cannot see it through. Jayashree is quite a busy body, she not only has 3 ebooks published but also runs a popular Facebook Group called Desi Bloggers Connect. I got to know her through some food blogger groups that we both are a part of. Her blog is full of South Indian recipes, a variety of dals and other recipes from different cuisines. She also loves to write poems. Check out her blog for some delicious dishes.
I had decided that I would bake a bread for Jayashree’s blog as I love baking. As a light meal, hubby had suggested I make soup. I asked him to buy some bread on his way back home and he replied ‘ You haven’t baked a bread in a long time’. And he left. So had to put on my thinking cap as to what to bake that will not take too long and too much effort.(does he know I have to make Diwali snacks?) Focaccia( pronounced as fo-ca-chaa) definitely won the toss over a Middle Eastern bread.
Focaccia is a type of Italian flatbread which has the basic ingredients yeast, olive oil, salt and herbs added to the dough. The topping can vary from plain just with herbs and oil to meat. Here are some ideas for topping that you can use for focaccia:
- caramelized onion
- mozzarella cheese
- tomatoes
- eggplant
- roasted pepper
- mushrooms
- olives
- cheddar cheese
- apple slices with gruyere cheese and onion
- fig and feta cheese
- red grapes with feta
- a sweet focaccia
- pizza sauce and herbs
The options are endless. It is believed that the famous Italian flatbread originated from Ancient Greek culture and Etruscans who lived in what is now Tuscany. The word focaccia comes from the Roman word panis focacius which means a hearth or fireside bread. Focaccia later on gave rise to the famous pizza. The type of focaccia varies from region to region. Some are extra thin, some are a bit thick and also the topping vary.
Usually, Focaccia is made from plain flour but I decided to use more of the wheat flour and less of plain flour.
TOMATO AND GARLIC FOCACCIA
Makes 12 pieces
For the Focaccia:
2 cups wheat flour (atta)
1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)
2¼ tsp instant dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1¼ – 1½ cup warm water
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
For the topping:
1-2 tomatoes, sliced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt, I used Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 tbsp fresh
extra olive oil for greasing
extra flour for dusting
Preparation of the focaccia:
For the procedure to prepare this easy and yet very delicious focaccia, please check on Jayashree’s blog : here
Tips:
- Use ripe but firm tomatoes.
- Wheat flour tends to need more water so add accordingly.
- Sprinkle sea salt on top instead of Himalayan pink salt.
- Add garlic slices on top if you wish.
- Don’t reduce the amount of olive oil required as you want the base and sides to be a bit crunchy.
Pin for later:
A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
You may want to check out the following Italian Bread Recipes:



18 Comments
Anna | Serving Dumplings
December 7, 2018 at 1:17 am
so delicious, what a great idea to add tomatoes!
mayurisjikoni
December 7, 2018 at 3:46 pm
Thanks Anna and it does taste good with tomato.
Bev
December 7, 2018 at 7:12 am
I love focaccia! So much flavour and homemade bread is always better. Thanks for such an awesome recipe!
mayurisjikoni
December 7, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Thanks Bev and you’re welcome.
Lucy Parissi
December 7, 2018 at 11:10 am
This focaccia sounds wonderful with the garlic and tomatoes. The perfect accompaniment to so many dishes.
mayurisjikoni
December 7, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Thank you so much Lucy.. it definitely is.
kavitafavelle
December 7, 2018 at 2:30 pm
I really love a freshly home baked foccacia and of course, the tomato and garlic additions are perfect for this style of bread!
mayurisjikoni
December 7, 2018 at 3:43 pm
Thanks Kavita, tomato and garlic does work well on focaccia.
Corina Blum
December 7, 2018 at 4:07 pm
I think tomatoes and rosemary are brilliant on focaccia – I made a very similar one once in a cookery class! I definitely need to try and make it again.
mayurisjikoni
December 7, 2018 at 6:46 pm
Thanks Corina, the combination is definitely a winner.
Heidi Roberts
December 10, 2018 at 10:53 pm
What a perfect looking focaccia! Such a useful recipe.
mayurisjikoni
December 12, 2018 at 9:39 pm
Thank you so much Heidi.
Shobha Keshwani
December 14, 2018 at 8:31 am
Perfectly baked focaccia.. so tempting. been a long time since I made it.
mayurisjikoni
December 14, 2018 at 5:26 pm
Thanks Shobha.
Mina Joshi
December 14, 2018 at 9:47 am
I love focaccia bread but always buy it ready made. Your recipe is a keeper. The bread looks delicious and I love the toppings you have used. It looks like a pizza and dhokla but its Focaccia!!
mayurisjikoni
December 14, 2018 at 5:24 pm
Ha! ha! Mina like your description.. but cannot be compared to dhokra. But as you said its focaccia.
Priya Satheesh
December 14, 2018 at 9:48 am
Such a flavourful and perfect Focaccia.. I love homemade breads and it is always the best !
mayurisjikoni
December 14, 2018 at 5:23 pm
Thank you so much Priya.