Roasted Campari Tomatoes and Sweet Vidalia Onion Focaccia

I love this focaccia. It’s sweet, salty and delicious.
It’s fantastic on its own, or as a base for a sandwich.
I make mine with sweet Campari tomatoes, but really, any sweet variety will do, the same with the onions.
Another favourite addition to this focaccia is cured black olives. This is what I love about focaccia the most, it’s really a blank canvas for your taste buds, so go wild and feel free to try different toppings. But trust me, this one is a winning combination.

I personally love to eat it when it’s piping hot out of the oven. The tomatoes are still juicy, the sweetness of the onions and the sprinkling of my favourite sea salt really brings it home!

Stop drooling and go make this…you’ll thank me later. 🙂

Roasted Campari Tomatoes and Sweet Vidalia Onion Focaccia

Here’s what you need:

For the starter:

2 tsp quick rise yeast
1.5 cups of warm water
2 tsp raw sugar

Combine the ingredients in a large bowl until it’s foamy, approx 10 minutes.

For the dough:

Starter (above)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tblsp kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional, but adds a nice flavour)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Sprigs of fresh rosemary (or 1.5 tsp dried)

Topping:

5 Campari tomatoes, sliced
1/2 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
Fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 450°F

In a stand mixer (or by hand), combine the starter with the remaining ingredients until incorporated and you have a nice dough ball. It may be sticky, but that’s ok! Set aside for at least 30 minutes to rise, should be doubled. (If you’re in a hurry, you can omit this step and proceed with the recipe, it will still turn out delicious.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment, drizzle with olive oil.

On an oiled surface, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape* and place on parchment. Indent the dough with your fingers, making little pockets/wells into the dough with your fingertips.

Top with sliced Campari tomatoes, sliced onions, sprigs of fresh rosemary, sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil on top for good measure.

Set aside and let it proof for about 20 minutes.

Bake for approx 30 – 35 minutes, until golden. Oven times may vary.

Enjoy!

*The dough should be soft/pliable enough for you to stretch and shape with your hands, if you do not have a rolling pin. It’s fun and your hands get a little workout! 🙂