Focaccia with Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic
Given how hard it can be to get good bread in Barcelona without paying a small fortune, and how incredibly easy this is to make, this recipe is definitely worth your time. And, though it's fluffier and more doughy, it rather resembles the popular Catalan coca. Crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy in the middle, it’s equally good served alone with nothing but quality olive oil for company, or as the base of a fantastic sandwich. Trust me, this is the sort of food that stellar summer picnics are made of, and it will impress your friends no end. It’s also very easy to adapt. Instead of using tomatoes and garlic, try mushing up some figs or peaches with a very mild olive oil, then continue with the goat's cheese and rosemary. It works a treat.
INGREDIENTS (serves 6-8)
- 500 g strong white flour (don’t be tempted to use an ancient grain or whole wheat flour, it never works as well), or 400 g plain flour & 100 g semolina flour
- 9 g dry yeast, or 18 g fresh yeast
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 320 ml warm water
- Handful yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
- Handful red cherry tomatoes, halved
- Handful goat's cheese, crumbled
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 75 ml olive oil
- Several sprigs rosemary
METHOD
1. To make the bread, stir the yeast and sugar into the water until it foams slightly.
2. Put the flour in a large flat bowl, make a well in the middle and add the yeasty water, stirring to combine with the tips of your fingers.
3. Bring the dough together (add a tiny amount of extra flour or water if need be) and knead well for 5 minutes or so.
4. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
5. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil, place the dough ball in it and leave to rise for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile poach the tomatoes and garlic (or whatever you’re using) in the olive oil until soft and squidgy, then set aside to cool.
7. Grease a shallow baking tray with oil and place the dough on top, pressing down so it fills the tray and leaves pockmarks in the top.
8. Cover with the tomato mixture, then push the rosemary sprigs and goat's cheese into the top of the dough.
9. Bake for 20 minutes until golden, remove from the oven, rest for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Tara Stevens is a food writer and cook who splits her time between Barcelona and her little cooking school in the Fez Medina. Passionate about Spanish and Moroccan cuisine, she takes traditional recipes and gives them a modern makeover using local and seasonal ingredients. Follow Tara on Instagram @courtyardkitchenfez and Twitter @taralstevens.