This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Every time I make this Tomato Focaccia Bread, I have a moment where I'm blown away by it. The cherry tomatoes collapse into sweet, almost melty bites in between the rosemary and flakey salt. The edges are golden-brown and crisp from the olive oil in the pan. And the inside? It has that perfect airy focaccia texture.

A round focaccia bread topped with halved cherry tomatoes and rosemary sits on a black marble board, surrounded by olive oil, fresh rosemary, cherry tomatoes on the vine, and a red checkered napkin.

This tomato focaccia bread recipe is one that always impresses my friends and family.

The cherry tomatoes collapse into these jammy little pockets on top, and the olive oil gives the bottom crust a crisp almost-fried crunch. The inside stays chewy yet airy from the long cold rise.

If you’ve never made bread before, start here. And if you are looking for a quicker version, (like, tonight!) my Bread Machine Focaccia Bread is for you.

Top-down view of various ingredients on a marble counter for tomato focaccia bread, including flour, water, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt, yeast, sugar, fresh herbs, vinegar, and small bowls of seasonings.

Why My Recipe

The cold rise is doing all the flavor work. You're trading effort for time, and the time is free.
Salted-and-drained tomatoes cook into jammy bites instead of leaking water onto the bread.
The generous addition of olive oil in the pan crisps the bottom into something closer to a deep-dish crust than a normal bread bottom.
A 9-inch round serves six to eight comfortably.

Why You Can't Swap Flours in bread (and what to do if you need to)

Different flours have very different protein levels, and that protein effects that hydration and texture of your dough.

All-purpose flour (10–11.5% protein): This recipe is built for all-purpose. My go-to is King Arthur Flour, and that is what all my bread recipes are tested with.
Bread flour (12–14% protein): You can swap it in, but the focaccia will be denser. Hold back about 2 tablespoons of flour and expect to add a splash more water.
Cake or pastry flour (6–9% protein): too soft. You'll get a flat, gummy disc. Don't.
"00" flour: check the bag. Pizza-blend 00 is high-protein and works beautifully here. Pasta-blend 00 is low-protein and won't give you the structure you need.

Instant vs. Active Dry Yeast

This recipe is written for instant yeast (sometimes labeled "rapid-rise" or "bread machine yeast").

I like it because it doesn't have to be proofed, and as a busy single mom, any time I can save a step without sacrificing flavor, I'm in.

If all you have is active dry yeast, two adjustments:

Use 25% more. That's about 1½ teaspoons of active dry yeast instead of 1¼ teaspoons of instant.
Proof it first. Active dry yeast has a protective coating that needs to dissolve. Stir it into the lukewarm water (105°F–110°F) with the teaspoon of sugar from the recipe, and let it sit 5–10 minutes. When it looks foamy on top and smells faintly bready, it's alive. Add it to the flour with the oil and carry on.

If you happen to have fresh yeast (a brick or cake of compressed yeast), use about 3½ times the weight of instant (roughly ½ ounce / 14 g here). Crumble it into the lukewarm water with sugar to dissolve before mixing in.

The Tomato Trick That Fixes the Soggy Top

The number-one complaint about tomato focaccia anywhere on the internet is the soggy top. The fix takes ten minutes.

Cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes are full of water. If you put them on raw, that water has nowhere to go but down into your dough. Salt them first and let them sit cut-side up for ten minutes on a paper towel — the salt pulls the liquid out. What ends up on top of the focaccia is concentrated tomato: sweeter, more jammy, more flavor. What's underneath it stays crisp.

I also like to put the tomatoes on my dough with the cut side up, which further prevents the soggy top.

A few things I've learned

Don't shortcut the cold rise. The overnight in the fridge is doing the flavor work. You can stretch it to 48 hours. You cannot compress it to 2.
The dough is supposed to feel tacky. Stickier than other breads you've worked with, probably. Don't add more flour — that's where dense focaccia comes from.
Use enough olive oil. People always think they're using too much. They almost never are. The pan should be slick, not greased.
Spray your plastic wrap. During the final rise, make sure you spray your plastic wrap or bread cover or it could stick and deflate your dough.
450°F is the right temperature. Lower gives you a pale crust and a soggy crumb. Higher will scorch the tomatoes before the inside is done.
Press the dimples all the way down. Halfway gets you halfway focaccia.
You can't really overproof this in the fridge. Forgot about it for an extra day? Probably even better.
If active dry yeast doesn't foam after 10 minutes, the yeast is dead. Start over. It's not the recipe.

How it Comes Together

A metal mixing bowl containing flour and yeast for tomato focaccia bread sits on a gray marble countertop. — In the bowl of a stand mixer stir together the flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar.

A metal mixing bowl with flour inside sits on a marble countertop. A hand holds a clear measuring cup filled with water above the bowl, ready to pour and begin making tomato focaccia bread. — Add the lukewarm water.

A hand pours liquid from a small measuring cup into a metal mixing bowl with flour and yeast, beginning the process of making tomato focaccia bread on a marble countertop. — Then the oil.

A ball of raw dough for tomato focaccia bread sits in the bottom of a large metal mixing bowl, with bits of flour and dough clinging to the sides. The bowl is placed on a light-colored countertop. — Stir until it pulls together into a shaggy dough.

A metal mixing bowl with a dough hook attachment, containing a ball of pale, slightly sticky tomato focaccia bread dough in the process of being mixed. — Fit the dough hook and knead on medium-low for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

A ball of dough for tomato focaccia bread sits inside a stainless steel mixing bowl on a gray marble countertop. — It should still feel a little tacky.

A ball of dough for tomato focaccia bread sits in the center of a glass bowl on a marble countertop, with a plastic covering partially off to the side. — **Cold rise overnight.** Transfer the dough to a large bowl or lidded container, drizzle with a little oil, and turn it to coat.

A food processor bowl holds a creamy, pale yellow mixture—likely fresh hummus—topped with a drizzle of olive oil. The lid rests beside it on a gray marbled countertop, perfect for enjoying with slices of tomato focaccia bread. — Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or up to 2 days.

A round, risen tomato focaccia bread dough rests on a lightly floured surface with concentric measurement circles marked in inches, indicating preparation for baking or pizza making. — Turn the cold dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather it into a loose ball. Flatten into a round.

A round ball of dough for tomato focaccia bread rising in a metal bowl, set on a light gray marble surface. — Oil the pan and transfer the dough to the pan. Turn the dough to coat.

A small round bowl covered tightly with clear plastic wrap sits on a light gray marbled surface, ready for the tomato focaccia bread dough to rise. — Cover with a clean kitchen towel, bread cover, or plastic wrap (spray them!) and let it sit at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, until it's almost doubled and visibly puffy.

Sliced cherry tomatoes, perfect for topping tomato focaccia bread, sprinkled with coarse salt on a light wooden cutting board. — While the dough is doing its second rise, halve the cherry tomatoes and lay them cut-side up. Sprinkle lightly with salt and leave them for 10 minutes.

A round pan filled with tomato focaccia bread dough, topped with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh rosemary, and a drizzle of olive oil, ready to be baked. — Coat your fingertips with olive oil and press them firmly into the dough to dimple. Press the salted tomatoes cut-side up and sprinkle the fresh rosemary and the flaky salt across the top. You can add other things like garlic or red onion if you like.

Round golden tomato focaccia bread in a baking pan, topped with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped herbs, and coarse sea salt. — **Bake** until the top is deeply golden brown and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan.

A round focaccia bread topped with cherry tomato slices, sea salt, and rosemary, with one triangular slice cut out. Surrounding it are fresh cherry tomatoes, rosemary sprigs, olive oil, and a cork on a dark surface.

If you like this recipe don't forget to leave a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the below comments, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, Instagram, and PINTEREST to see all my delicious recipes.

A round focaccia bread topped with halved cherry tomatoes, rosemary, and flaky sea salt, displayed on a dark surface with olive oil and rosemary sprigs nearby.

Print Recipe

No ratings yet

Overnight Cherry Tomato Focaccia Bread

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Rising1 2

Total Time1 2 35

Course: bread

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 230kcal

Author: Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all purpose flour 330 grams
1 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (105 °F - 110 °F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Topping
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed.

For Topping

1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped (thyme or oregano could also be used.)
½ teaspoon flaky salt

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water and olive oil, and stir until combined.
Using the dough hook, knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.
Transfer the dough to a large container with a lid. Coat well with oil and refrigerate overnight. (Or up to 2 days)
Place the olive oil in a 9” round cake pan and brush to coat the sides.
Transfer the dough to a clean surface and roll into a ball. Transfer to the prepare pan and coat with the oil. Press down gently.
Cover, and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours. Sprinkle the halved cherry tomatoes with salt. Let sit, cut side up for 10 minutes. Turn over on a paper towel.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Coat your fingers with oil, and gently press the dough to dimple it.
Top with the cherry tomatoes, rosemary, and salt.
Bake for 20 t0 24 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
Let it cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Notes

Storage

Day-of: Focaccia is at its best the day it's baked. Loosely cover leftovers with a kitchen towel at room temperature.

Up to 2 days: Wrap tightly in foil or store in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat slices in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes to bring the crust back. Don't microwave — it'll go gummy.

Freezing: Wrap cooled focaccia tightly in foil, then in a freezer bag, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Day-2 idea — focaccia pizza. Slice leftover focaccia horizontally, top with a thin layer of sauce, mozzarella, and whatever else, and bake at 425°F for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese melts and the crust crisps. One of the best uses for a second-day focaccia I've found.

Nutrition

Filed Under:

Bread and Muffin Recipes