Sourdough Cherry Tomato Focaccia With Rosemary

With blistered cherry tomatoes, golden roasted garlic, and fresh rosemary dimpling its surface, this Sourdough Focaccia is everything we love about baking with wild yeast in the summer. Whether you're growing tomatoes in the garden or picking up the sweetest punnet from the market, this Cherry Tomato Focaccia is the ultimate way to showcase seasonal produce on soft, airy sourdough bread.

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Sourdough Focaccia For Summertime

Focaccia bread is one of the most versatile breads for summer meals. Serve it warm alongside a light salad or cold, sliced into sandwiches for beach picnics. It's a versatile bread perfect for soaking up tomato sauce, dipping into balsamic vinegar, or piling high with mozzarella cheese and grilled vegetables. Plus, it's just as impressive at a dinner party as it is in a packed lunch.

If you love savoury bakes in the warmer months, try mixing things up with other seasonal favourites like our Fennel and Caper Sourdough Focaccia or Olive Sourdough Focaccia - both packed with Mediterranean flair and sunshine flavours.

We also love the flavours of our Sourdough Babka with Pesto and Sundried Tomatoes! For more warm-weather ideas, head to our Summer Sourdough collection.

Ingredient Notes

Here's everything you'll need to make this Cherry Tomato Focaccia:

• Strong Bread Flour. We recommend flour with at least 12% protein content to support gluten development and give your focaccia dough structure. You can substitute up to 20% with whole wheat flour if you'd like a heartier crumb. Whilst you can make focaccia with all-purpose flour, you will get suboptimal results. 
• Water. Use lukewarm water to help the dough mix smoothly. 
• Sourdough Starter. You'll need an active sourdough starter at 100% hydration. Make sure it's bubbly and recently fed. This replaces the need for active dry yeast, instant yeast, or fresh yeast.
• Salt. Regular table salt is fine for the dough (although sourdough purists may disagree), but coarse salt, like kosher salt or flaky sea salt, adds lovely texture on top of the loaf.
• Olive Oil.  A generous glug of extra virgin olive oil adds richness and moisture to the crumb, and helps create that beautifully crispy crust.
• Garlic Cloves. Roasting them brings out their sweetness. If you're short on time, use confit garlic or finely minced sautéed garlic instead.
• Cherry Tomatoes. Use ripe grape tomatoes, baby plum tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes of any kind. If your tomatoes are extra watery, make sure to dab them with paper towels first. This is a great recipe for peak tomato season! Outside of the season, you can use cherry tomato confit!
• Fresh Rosemary. Optional, but highly recommended. You can also swap in other fresh herbs like thyme or oregano. Have more rosemary? Try our Sourdough Focaccia With Grapes and Rosemary!
• Toppings (Optional). Add a sprinkle of black pepper and/ or grated Parmesan cheese.

Find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

For an even more summery, Mediterranean holiday-themed bread, try our Sourdough Focaccia With Feta and Lemon.

And for a simpler, beginner version, try our Simple Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia!

Tips: What Makes A Great Sourdough Focaccia?

Making excellent sourdough focaccia is a combination of science, patience, and the right tools. Here's what we've learned after baking countless focaccias:

• Hydration Matters. High-hydration dough (around 75-85%) makes a more open crumb and bigger air bubbles. Don't be afraid of sticky dough to begin with - that's a good sign!
• Fermentolyse. Combine your starter, flour, and water first, and let it rest before adding salt and oil. This jumpstarts gluten development and improves texture.
• Oil Goes in by Hand. Always mix oil into your dough by hand before running the stand mixer. If added directly to the mixer, it can cause the dough to split.

• Knead Thoroughly. Use a dough hook attachment on medium speed for 10-12 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should start to gather around the hook.
• Coil Folds Build Structure. Gently coil fold (or stretch and fold) the dough every 30 minutes during the bulk fermentation. This strengthens the gluten without deflating the dough.

• Push Bulk Fermentation. For that soft, bubbly texture, let the dough ferment until it's just shy of overproofed. Look for lots of visible bubbles under the surface.
• Use the Right Tray. A rimmed baking sheet or high-sided baking pan (approx. 23×23 cm) helps the dough rise evenly and makes shaping easy. It also allows you to cover the dough with a tea towel or silicone lid without it touching the surface.

• Second Rise: Let the shaped dough have a full second rise at room temperature until it's puffy and full of air.
• Dimple With Garlic: Press roasted garlic gently into the top of the dough - not just for flavour but to help trap air bubbles and keep the crumb open. It also prevents the garlic from burning if left on the surface. 

• Cool Before Slicing: It's tempting to dive in as soon as your focaccia turns golden brown, but cooling the focaccia for at least 20 minutes helps set the crumb and avoids gummy slices.

Serving Suggestions

This cherry tomato focaccia is a dream on its own, dipped in extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but it's also a brilliant side dish. Try it with chilled summery soups like gazpacho or courgette and potato soup.  

It makes an amazing sandwich bread - slice it horizontally and layer with mozzarella cheese, rocket, and roasted red peppers.

Heading to a picnic or BBQ? Tear it into chunks for the bread basket, serve it with hummus or olive tapenade, or simply enjoy it with a little olive oil and flaky salt.

Storage

If you have any leftovers (rare, but possible!), store your focaccia bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The best way to keep it soft is to wrap it in plastic wrap first.

Freezing is also a great way to extend its life: slice the bread and wrap individual pieces tightly in aluminium foil, then place in a sealed container or freezer bag. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 5-7 minutes.

More Sourdough Focaccia Recipes

This recipe is just the beginning. From savoury classics like Rosemary Focaccia and Olive Sourdough Focaccia, to creative sweet variations like Almond Croissant Sourdough Focaccia and Cherry Almond Focaccia, there's a whole world of flavour-packed bread recipes waiting for you. In autumn, we love our Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia With Herbs De Provence and Hot Honey Sourdough Focaccia.

Stay tuned for even more ideas to make the most of your own sourdough starter.

Sourdough Cherry Tomato Focaccia

With blistered cherry tomatoes, golden roasted garlic, and fresh rosemary dimpling its surface, this Sourdough Focaccia is everything we love about baking with wild yeast in the summer. Whether you're growing tomatoes in the garden or picking up the sweetest punnet from the market, this Cherry Tomato Focaccia is the ultimate way to showcase seasonal produce on soft, airy sourdough bread.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Fermenting and Proofing 18 hours hrs

Total Time 22 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine Italian, Sourdough

Servings 6 -8 slices

Calories 233 kcal

Equipment

• Stand Mixer Fitted with A Dough Hook Attachment
• Baking Tray (9x9in/ 23x23cm)
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

  

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Sourdough

• 260 g strong bread flour with at least 12% protein content
• 180 -200 ml water
• 110 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
• 5 g salt
• 25 ml olive oil

Topping

• 4 garlic cloves unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for drizzling
• 100 g cherry tomatoes halved
• 1-2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• ½ teaspoon flaky salt

Instructions

 

DAY 1

• First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter and leave it in a warm spot to at least double in volume. We typically feed our starter in a ratio of 1 part starter: 1 part water: 1 part flour, and it doubles (or even triples) within 4 hours.

Fermentolyse and Mixing The Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, water and active sourdough starter. Mix the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment for a few minutes on low speed, until the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave the dough to fermentolyse (a type of sourdough autolyse where sourdough starter is added too) for an hour.
• After an hour, scatter the salt on top of the dough. Drizzle the olive oil all over, and using your hands, squish the salt and oil into the dough, aiming to distribute it evenly.
• TIP: Don't be tempted to just mix the oil in by running the stand mixer - the dough will split, separated by oil layers.
• Once incorporated, run your mixer on medium speed for 10-12 minutes, until you have a very smooth and elastic dough. It will be wet, but should start gathering around the dough hook attachment.

Coil Folds, Bulk Fermentation, Cold Retardation

• Scoop the dough into a lightly oiled bowl (we like to use a heavy shallow dish - it helps with coil folds later). Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or cling film (plastic wrap) and leave it in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
• Over the next 3 hours, at 30-minute intervals, perform a set of coil folds, using wet hands. See the coil folding video below.
• After all 6 sets of coil folds are completed, cover the dough and let it finish its bulk fermentation undisturbed for 1.5-3 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
• Place the dough in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours (or simply overnight).

DAY 2:

• The next day, line a baking tray (approx 24x24cm) with parchment paper.

Roast Garlic

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
• Separate garlic cloves, but keep them unpeeled.
• Cut the tip of each garlic clove off (this will allow you to squeeze the garlic pulp out after roasting).
• Place the prepared cloves of garlic on a double layered sheets of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly.
• Place the foil parcel in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
• Unwrap and leave the garlic to cool down slightly.

Second Rise

• Take the dough out of the fridge and very carefully transfer it into the prepared baking tray, trying not to deflate it too much. Stretch it out into the corners of the baking dish.
• Cover it again and leave it in a warm spot to proof for another 1-2 hours. It will increase in volume, puff up and have very noticeable blisters across the surface.

Topping and Baking

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
• Squeeze the soft garlic pulp out of the skins into a bowl and discard the peels.
• Oil your fingers, and, taking a little bit of garlic at a time, dimple the garlic into the dough all over.
• Arrange halved cherry tomatoes, cut side up, on top, pressing them right into the dimples.
• Drizzle the top with extra olive oil and sprinkle the top with fresh rosemary and sea salt flakes.
• Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes. Cool it for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 328mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 83IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Cherry Tomato and Rosemary Focaccia, Cherry Tomato Focaccia, Sourdough Cherry Tomato Focaccia, Sourdough Focaccia With Cherry Tomatoes

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