Our dear friend Phoebe brought this focaccia bread (derived from a New York Times recipe) to our fall equinox party, and it was such a hit! What a great way to use whatever tomatoes you have. Best if eaten fresh and warm!
Ingredients:
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon flakey/kosher salt
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
1¾ cups warm water
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon rosemary (optional)
1 bulb garlic, chopped
Tomatoes (Use what you have! Cut cherries in half or slice Romas or heirlooms)
Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and yeast. Add warm water to flour mixture and stir until a sticky, wet dough forms. Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil into a medium bowl. Transfer dough to bowl, turn to coat in oil, and cover tightly with lid or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours or for up to 2 days. Move onto next step after.
Brush inside of a 9x13-inch baking sheet with olive oil. Transfer dough from refrigerator to pan. Spread dough out as much as possible on pan, adding oil if needed to keep it from sticking. Set dough in a warm place and let it rise until doubled in bulk. This can take anywhere from 20-60 mins; it should be fluffy and more spread out. Meanwhile, chop garlic and slice tomatoes; put them in a bowl, add olive oil, and toss to coat.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat down the dough to an even thickness of about 1 inch. Using your fingertips, dimple the entire dough. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread out oil-coated tomatoes and garlic evenly. Sprinkle the surface with the sea salt and rosemary (optional).
Bake, rotating once, until top is golden brown, 20-25 mins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.