March 2, 2021

Focaccia Bread with black garlic, cherry tomato and basil

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All the Things Bread | The Culinary Letter Food Blog

This delightful focaccia bread is light, soft, fluffy and full of flavour! With a deep savoury umami-ness from the black garlic, paired with the burst of sweetness from the cherry tomatoes and a scattering of fresh basil it’s incredibly hard to resist.

Plus the smell wafting around your kitchen is so delicious that everyone will be crowding around for a piece!

Focaccia bread on a plate with a small glass jug of olive oil, fresh basil leaves and black garlic in the background

This black garlic puree was kindly gifted to me by the NZ company Neudorf black. It was such a treat to experiment with something new and I was able to create this wonderful recipe, which is pretty addictive. Hence why I couldn’t help but share it with you all today!

All the rest of the ingredients are obtainable from your local supermarkets.

Ingredients

Here is everything you’ll need to make this tasty focaccia bread…

Strong / High-grade flour

Also known as bread flour, has the structure to keep this bread together. This type of flour generally has a medium to high protein content which helps to create the elasticity and texture we’re after.

Instant Dry Yeast

Instant yeast, unlike active dried yeast, doesn’t have a protective coating around it. Therefore it does not require first being activated or proofed in a warm liquid to work. This is quite possibly the best part about it and why I love using it in all bread making, there’s less fuss! You can completely just add it in with the flour and it will do its thing.

Yeast ensures that the bread leavens and ultimately leads to the light and fluffy texture of this focaccia.

Salt

This recipe uses two different forms of salt. Table salt within the bread dough to lift the flavours as well as sea salt flakes for the topping. The sea salt flakes add a lovely crunch and burst of saltiness to build up the flavour, along with the other toppings. I always suggest a generous amount, along with the drizzle of some good quality olive oil as the finishing touch.

Tepid Water

Also referred to as lukewarm water, it helps to bring this dough together and give it the necessary hydration required.

You’ll need the water at just the right temperature to ensure that the yeast can work to its best ability. Too hot and it will kill off the yeast, too cold and the yeast will be dormant.

TIP: You can check your water is at the right temperature with the back of your fingers. If you can comfortably touch the water for 3 seconds the water is warm enough to go ahead and use.

Black Garlic Paste

Black garlic results from slow-cooking fresh garlic for a long time (generally weeks). It has a rich, strong umami flavour that is sweeter in comparison to fresh garlic and can be compared to a reduced balsamic in terms of taste.

In this recipe, it is used twice, first in the dough itself where it is cooked and then dolloped fresh as a garnish. That way you get to experience it in 2 different ways!

Olive Oil

As it is used so generously in this recipe, I suggest finding the best quality olive oil possible. Preferably one that hasn’t been opened and sitting around in your pantry for a while, for the best flavour.

Olive oil is used in several stages in making this focaccia, including within the dough, as part of the topping and you could even use it to serve if desired.

Cherry Tomatoes

To balance out the flavours of the bread and give it a bit of sweetness! Cherry tomatoes top off this bread with a burst of incredible flavour and freshness when roasted.

Cut them in half before nestling them on the top to expose the centres and create a beautiful tasty outcome.

Basil

Fresh basil leaves, make the perfect garnish for this bread, adding a bit of colour and herbaceous flavour. Tear them roughly in your hands and scatter them over the top!

How to Make Focaccia Bread

Plate full of focaccia bread next to black garlic puree

Making focaccia bread does take a little bit of patience with a resting/ rising time of just over 2 hours. However, it will be worth it in the end and you’ll get to enjoy some flavourful bread!

1. Dough Making

The very first step is to get out your stand mixer and set it up with the hook attachment.

Then in the bowl of the stand mixer mix the flour, yeast and salt.

TIP: make sure that the yeast and salt don’t come into contact with each other (aka keep them completely separate from one another) until you’re ready to go. Otherwise, the salt will react with the yeast and affect the overall leavening of the bread.

You can do this by first placing the flour in the bowl and adding salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast on the other side, so they don’t touch.

2. Add the Water and Black Garlic

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the water, followed by the black garlic and knead until well combined (3 minutes).

Turn the mixer up to medium speed and knead for another 6 minutes. The dough should be soft and pull away from the sides of the bowl but may still be a little sticky. Sticky is great as it means there’s plenty of moisture in the dough!

3. Stream in Oil

Return the mixer to a low speed and then stream in 45g oil, knead for 3 minutes before turning up the speed to medium. Mix until the oil has just been incorporated into the dough

4. The First Rise

Transfer the dough to a large well-oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Alternatively, you could also cover the bowl first with some cling film that has been lightly sprayed with some cooking oil if there’s a chance the dough may come into contact with the towel. Then place your damp towel over the top.

5. Transferring into your Baking Tray

Gently bring the dough together into a ball and place it in a well-oiled, baking tray, cover with a damp towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. This will allow the dough to relax slightly after it has been moved. handled.

(The same thing goes here as in the previous step, you may cover the dough with some lightly greased cling film to prevent any troubles occurring with the dough coming into contact with the towel, before covering it with the damp towel)

6. The Second Rise

Using your hands flatten out the dough into the tray, cover it with a damp towel and place in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. This is where all the magic happens! The dough rises, building air pockets and the light and fluffy texture we’re after.

Then, 10 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat your oven to Fan Bake 200*C and place a small baking tray at the bottom of your oven to preheat.

7. Dough Dimpling and Toppings

Once the dough has doubled in size, drizzle over 15g olive oil, rub to distribute evenly over the dough and then use your fingers to dimple the dough (press your fingers into the dough, touching the bottom of the pan, several times). This is by far my favourite part!

Gently nestle the cherry tomato on top, followed by a generous sprinkling of sea salt and drizzle on the rest of the olive oil.

7. Baking your Focaccia

Add 1/2 cup of water to the warmed baking tray in the oven and then place your focaccia dough on the rack directly above it. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy.

Rest in the tin for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a cutting board and garnish with torn basil leaves, dollops of extra black garlic and extra olive oil if desired. Cut into desired pieces and serve!

How to Store Focaccia Bread…

This particular focaccia is best stored in the fridge in an airtight container and eaten within 3 days.

Then when you’re ready to eat, go ahead and heat it briefly in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until nicely warmed and soft enough for you to melt into.