Heirloom Tomato Focaccia
Fresh tomatoes are the hallmark of summer produce. When they’re as beautiful and flavorful as they are now, keep things simple! Tuck them into a BLT, top them with fresh mozzarella, or toss them into pasta with basil. To showcase the gorgeous variety of heirlooms we rescued and shipped to homes this week, we’re sharing a recipe for super simple focaccia made with just a handful of ingredients (including store-bought pizza dough). Serve it as an appetizer or with salad, or just enjoy it warm out of the oven.
This recipe calls for store-bought pizza dough to cut down on prep time, but you can certainly use homemade dough. One simple ingredient transforms basic pizza dough into rich, flavorful focaccia bread: extra virgin olive oil. Topped with tomatoes and fresh basil, it’s a simple way to savor summer’s finest. Feel free to jazz it up with dried or fresh herbs like oregano or thyme before baking.
Heirloom Tomato Focaccia
Active time: 15 Min.
Total time: 60 Min.
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large Perfectly Imperfect heirloom tomato*
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Basil leaves
*Feel free to use assorted tomatoes or grape/cherry tomatoes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Pour olive oil into a 9x13 inch baking pan or sheet pan and use your hands to coat the bottom and sides. Transfer the pizza dough to the pan and stretch it as needed to fit the pan, flipping the dough a few times until it’s well-coated in the oil. Press it gently until it fills the bottom of the pan. If it won’t stretch to fill the pan, step away and let it rest for 10 minutes. Once it’s stretched to fit, set it aside to rest for 20 minutes while you prep the tomatoes.
Slice the tomato into ¼-inch thick slices. Place the tomato slices on a sheet pan lined with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes with kosher salt. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. This draws out some moisture to keep the bread from getting soggy.
After 20 minutes, press your fingertips into the top of the pizza dough to form indentations, then top with tomato slices in a single layer and sprinkle with black pepper.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 8 pieces. Sprinkle with basil leaves if desired before serving.
We can't wait to see how you're enjoying this week's tomatoes and other beautiful summer produce! Show us what you're baking or cooking up in your own kitchen and we'll share it to inspire others. Tag us @perfectlyimperfectproduce on Facebook and Instagram.
