Roasted Tomato Focaccia is a simple, Italian-inspired appetizer topped with fresh tomatoes, roasted garlic, and rosemary. It’s a great recipe for beginner bakers and home cooks who want that fresh, bakery-style bread without a lot of complicated steps!
Try this fun Cookie Pizza or balance things out with fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Brownies, too!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This roasted tomato focaccia recipe is vegan, dairy-free, and very forgiving. You don’t need fancy tools or bread experience to get great results. It’s perfect for casual baking days.
Olive oil adds rich flavor and keeps the bread moist. It also helps create the right balance of liquid in the dough, resulting in a soft, airy texture.
Fresh tomatoes and rosemary layered on top of the focaccia make every bite feel rustic and comforting. The aroma alone makes this worth baking!
Ingredients
Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:
- Large head of garlic
- Olive oil
- All-purpose flour
- Active dry yeast
- Coarse salt
- Warm water
- Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- Fresh rosemary
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Instructions
Roast the Garlic
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Cut the top off the head of garlic and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil.
3. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 35–45 minutes, until soft, browned, and fragrant.
4. Set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted cloves and keep them mostly intact.
Activate the Yeast
5. In a large bowl, combine warm water with about ¼ cup of the flour. Stir to dissolve.
6. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let it sit for 10–15 minutes until foamy.
Make the Dough
7. Add the remaining flour, olive oil, and coarse salt to the yeast mixture.
8. Mix until a dough forms.
9. Turn out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
First Rise
10. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
11. Let rise in a warm place until slightly more than doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes.
Prepare the Toppings
12. While the dough rises, halve the tomatoes and finely chop the rosemary.
13. Keep the roasted garlic ready.
Second Rise and Assembly
14. Add olive oil to a 9x13-inch baking pan and spread evenly.
15. Transfer the dough to the pan, turning it several times to coat it in oil.
16. Gently stretch the dough with your fingers to reach the corners.
17. Cover and let rise again until about 1½ times its size, 30–60 minutes.
Bake the Focaccia
18. Heat the oven again to 450°F (230°C).
19. Using oiled fingers, press deep dimples all over the dough.
20. Press roasted garlic cloves into some dimples and tomatoes cut-side up into others.
21. Sprinkle with rosemary and coarse salt.
22. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until lightly golden brown and firm.
Cool and Serve
23. Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
24. Cool for another 20 minutes before slicing.
25. Slice, serve, and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Substitutions & Variations
- Ingredient Swap
If fresh rosemary is not available, dried rosemary can work too. - Variation
Use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for a chewier crumb. - Mistake to Avoid
Don't rush the dough rise! Under-proofed focaccia will bake up dense and dry. - Storage Tips
- This bread does not freeze well once topped, but plain focaccia can be frozen for up to one month.
- Store baked focaccia in the fridge for 2–3 days. If adding fresh toppings later, keep wet ingredients separate from the bread and combine before serving.
FAQs
Best Roasted Tomato Focaccia
Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic:
- 1 garlic (80g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15ml)
For the Dough:
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (420g)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (7g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 30ml
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt (9g)
- 1 ⅓ cups warm water
For the Topping:
- ¼ cup olive oil (60ml)
- 4 oz cherry or grape tomatoes halved (115g)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary finely chopped (1 tbsp/4g)
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt (3g)
Instructions
Roast the Garlic
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cut the top off the head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil.
- Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 35–45 minutes, until soft, browned, and fragrant.
- Set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted cloves and keep mostly intact.
Activate the Yeast
- In a large bowl, combine warm water with about ¼ cup of the flour. Stir to dissolve.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let sit for 10–15 minutes until foamy.
Make the Dough
- Add the remaining flour, olive oil, and coarse salt to the yeast mixture.
- Mix until a dough forms.
- Turn out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
First Rise
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
- Let rise in a warm place until slightly more than doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes.
Prepare the Toppings
- While the dough rises, halve the tomatoes and finely chop the rosemary.
- Keep the roasted garlic ready.
Second Rise and Assembly
- Add olive oil to a 9x13-inch baking pan and spread evenly.
- Transfer the dough to the pan, turning it several times to coat in oil.
- Gently stretch the dough with your fingers to reach the corners.
- Cover and let rise again until about 1½ times its size, 30–60 minutes.
Bake the Focaccia
- Heat the oven again to 450°F (230°C).
- Using oiled fingers, press deep dimples all over the dough.
- Press roasted garlic cloves into some dimples and tomatoes cut-side up into others.
- Sprinkle with rosemary and coarse salt.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until lightly golden brown and firm.
Cool and Serve
- Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Cool for another 20 minutes before slicing.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Best enjoyed the same day.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat briefly in the oven for best texture before serving.
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Recipes for Every Moment
Having friends over and wanting something impressive? Roasted Tomato Focaccia is easy to prep and perfect for sharing with dips or pasta.
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