Vegan Tomato Basil Focaccia Bread
We are big fans of simple dishes that work with short ingredient lists and taste so good because of the nice quality of the ingredients. We just think of our vegan pasta primavera or a vegan tomato galette. Focaccia is most of the time “only” a side dish, but shines with its fluffy dough, lots of aromas and fresh ingredients. We recommend that you prepare the focaccia fresh and eat it within 24 hours (preferably still lukewarm). Focaccia works very well as a side dish for a salad or soup or as a snack, which can also be prepared for meal prep or to go.
[BIO PLANÈTE] (https://www.bioplanete.com/en-GB/) supported us with this recipe! BIO PLANÈTE produces oils of organic quality and pays great attention to fair partnerships with organic farmers. That’s why you will find Fairtrade certifications on all products. BIO PLANÈTE also ensures that no songbirds are killed by highly automated harvesting equipment when harvesting olives. Therefore, the olives are only harvested by soft vibrations or by hand. We used the [olive oil with basil] (https://www.bioplanete.com/en-GB/products/gourmet-oils/olive-oil-and-basil.html) for our focaccia, which brings a great flavor to the yeast dough. Incidentally, no additional ethereal essences are added to the oil. Instead, the fresh olives are pressed and processed along with the basil immediately after the harvest. During this process, the basil’s natural essential oils merge with the olive oil and provide it with a unique aroma. As an alternative, we can also recommend the [fruity extra virgin olive oil] (https://www.bioplanete.com/en-GB/products/classic-oils/olive-oil-fruity.html)!
Vegan Tomato Basil Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 25 ml (0.1 cups) basil olive oil or fruity olive oil nativ extra (e.g., from BIO PLANÈTE) for greasing
Focaccia
- 300 ml (1.2 cuos) lukewarm water
- 0.5 tsp sugar
- 21 g (0.7 oz) fresh yeast
- 500 g (4 cups) wheat flour (type 550)
- 1 tsp salt
- 25 ml (0.1 cups) basil olive oil or fruity olive oil nativ extra (e.g., from BIO PLANÈTE)
Toppings
- 200 g (7 oz) cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 15 g (0.5 oz) fresh basil
- 25 ml (0.1 cups) basil olive oil or fruity olive oil nativ extra (e.g., from BIO PLANÈTE)
Instructions
- Pour the lukewarm water into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Now crumble the fresh yeast to the water and wait for 10 minutes.
- Knead in the flour. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes covered with a damp kitchen towel.
- The dough should double in size. Add the salt and basil oil and knead in both.
- Line a baking dish (30x25 cm) with baking paper, spread with olive oil and put the dough inside. Press the dough flat with your hands, so the bottom of the baking dish is covered with the dough.
- Wash, dry and cut the tomatoes in half. Wash the basil leaves as well and chop them coarsely.
- Use the back of a wooden spoon or your fingers to poke deep dents into the dough. Press the halved tomatoes into the dents.
- Spread the chopped basil, coarse salt, and basil oil on the focaccia. Let rise for another 15 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (top and bottom heat).
- Bake the focaccia for 30-40 minutes and serve with basil oil.
