Tomato onion relish focaccia recipe

Try this focaccia topped with tomatoes and onion relish. Photo / Fresh Media

This is a lovely, versatile bread for all sorts of occasions.

There’s still time for outdoor lunches and picnics, and this bread is a beautiful match for cheeses and salamis. As the weather chills off, try it with your favourite soup.

Tomato onion relish focaccia

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

Dough:

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dried yeast

225ml warm water

275g high-grade flour

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp wholemeal flour

1 Tbsp olive oil

Topping:

3 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for brushing

6 cherry tomatoes halved horizontally

2 Tbsp onion relish

1 sprig rosemary

Flaky salt for sprinkling

Method

1. Place the sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over the dried yeast. Pour in half of the measured warm water. Leave in a warm place until frothy, about 5 minutes.
2. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the wholemeal flour and olive oil.
3. Add the remaining warm water and the activated yeast mixture. Mix until well combined and the dough is smooth and shiny. If you prefer, you can knead dough by hand on a lightly-floured bench for 10-15 minutes until smooth.
4. Form the dough into a ball on a lightly-floured bench. Clean the bowl and lightly oil it. Place the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour and up to 1 ½ hours.
5. Line a baking tray with baking paper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the measured oil. Brush or smear the oil into a circle about 25cm in diameter. Place the dough on the circle and use the palm of your hand to stretch it out to make a 25cm circle. Poke little indentations in the top of the dough with your fingers.
6. Place little blobs of onion relish over the dough and spread them out slightly. They don’t have to cover the entire surface. Scatter the halved cherry tomatoes on top. Drizzle over the olive oil and 1 ½ tablespoons water.
7. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and a tea towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour.
8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 230C.
9. Place prepared bread dough in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until well browned. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack and brush or drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Sprinkle over a little flaky salt and allow to cool a little before slicing.

– fresh.co.nz