Rolled Focaccia with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

The rolled focaccia with cherry tomatoes and olives is a tasty and colorful variant of the classic focaccia. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of type 0 or type 1 flour
• 300 ml of lukewarm water
• 10 g of fine salt
• 10 g of sugar
• 7 g of dry yeast or 25 g of fresh baker’s yeast
• 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for greasing
• 200 g of cherry tomatoes
• 100 g of pitted black olives
• Fresh rosemary (optional)
• Coarse salt (to garnish)
• Black pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Begin by dissolving the yeast in lukewarm water with sugar to activate it.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the oil and yeast water and start to knead until you get a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it with your hands for about 10 minutes until it becomes elastic and smooth.
4. Shape the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, covering it with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
5. In the meantime, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and lightly crush the pitted olives to open them.
6. Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, trying to form a rectangle about half a centimeter thick.
7. Evenly distribute the tomatoes and olives over the dough’s surface. If you like, add some chopped fresh rosemary and a pinch of black pepper.
8. Roll up the dough on itself, starting from the long side, to create a long roll.
9. Cut the roll into segments about 5 cm thick and place them, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them.
10. Let the segments rise again for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 200 °C.
11. Brush the surface of the segments with a little oil and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.
12. Bake the focaccia segments for about 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and fragrant.
13. Remove the rolled focaccia with cherry tomatoes and olives from the oven and let it cool on a rack before serving.

Curiosity

Focaccia in Italy has many regional variants, from the classic Genovese focaccia to the Bari-style focaccia with cherry tomatoes and olives. This rolled version is perfect for an aperitif or as an appetizer in a dinner among friends. The ingredients can be varied according to personal taste, adding for example anchovies, capers, or aromatic herbs.