Tomato Focaccia Bread

By Maverick19

Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water, 105-115 degrees F
• 1 (1/4oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
• 3 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 4 cups high gluten pizza or bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 6 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 Tbsp coarse sea salt

Preparation

Step 1

Put the warm water in a large warmed bowl, add the yeast and stir to,dissolve. Let stand for 3 minutes or until foamy. Add 1 Tbsp of the kosher salt and the honey and stir to combine. Add the flour and 1/2 cup of the oil and mix, first with the spoon and then using your hands, until the dough comes together in a slightly tacky ball.

Wash and dry your hands. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead, occasionally dusting it with a teaspoon of flour at a time, until you form a smooth, firm, homogenous ball, about 15 minutes. (You can do this just as ell in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook if you are in a hurry. But consider doing it by hand. It makes it better)

Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen cloth. Place the bowl in a warm area, such as on the stove, and let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and divide into two equal pieces. Shape each one into a ball, return to the bowl, cover, let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil two 11 x 17 inch baking sheets, the older the better. Place a dough ball on each of the oiled baking sheets and, using your fingertips, poke indentations across the entire surface of the dough, spreading the dough out over the sheet. Let them rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp of the kosher salt, drizzle with some of the remaining olive oil, and then lay the tomato slices on top, barely overlapping, like shingles, to cover within 1/2 inch of the edge of the dough. Drizzle the remaining oil over to form slight puddles in some of the dimples, and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top and bottom. Serve warm