Cherry Tomato Feta Focaccia (Small Batch)

Feta and cherry tomato focaccia garnished with fresh basil on a board.

5 from 1 vote

Cherry Tomato Feta Focaccia (Small Batch)

Sometimes, all we need is a small batch cherry tomato feta focaccia. This recipe is based on my foolproof and extremely popular no knead overnight focaccia recipe, but it's scaled down for when you need a smaller batch. This recipe has the same flavor profile as the viral "baked feta" recipe. It's creamy, tangy, and delicious.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Rise time18

Total Time18 30

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $5

Equipment

Kitchen Scale - Affiliate Link
9 Inch round pan

Ingredients

For the Dough

2 cups All-purpose flour - 260 grams - Bread flour can also be used
1 tsp Kosher salt - 5 grams
1 tsp Instant yeast - 4 grams
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil - 14 grams (Plus extra for drizzling)
1 cup Lukewarm water - 235 grams
Extra olive oil for drizzling

For Baking and Garnish

1 tsp Butter - For greasing the pan
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, divided - for greasing the pan and for oiling the dough
½ pint Cherry tomatoes
½ cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
Basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

Mix. To a medium bowl, add 2 cups All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp Instant yeast, 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil and 1 cup Lukewarm water. Mix with a wooden spoon or fork until all the flour is hydrated. The mix should be shaggy but not sloppy.
Rise. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting cover and refrigerate overnight at least 18 hours.
Deflate. 1 hour before you want to bake the focaccia, take the bowl out of the fridge and uncover it. Using your hands deflate the dough slightly and transfer the dough to a buttered and oiled baking tray.
Shape. Shape it loosely by grabbing each end and folding it over like you would a letter. Flip the dough over so the seams are on the bottom. Cover the tray with a tea towel and set aside for 1-1.5 hours.
Dimple. Preheat your oven to 425F/220C. The dough should now have filled the baking pan and inflated slightly. Drizzle more olive oil over the dough and start dimpling with your fingers.
Dress. Add ½ pint Cherry tomatoes and ½ cup Feta cheese (crumbled). Press down the ingredients again.
Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until golden brown. Every oven is different, so your focaccia may need more time. Let the focaccia cool for 30 minutes before garnishing with fresh basil and enjoying it.

Notes

See the blog post above for a detailed step-by-step with photos.

Some important tips:

Don’t rush the process. Allow the dough to rise in the fridge for at least 18 hours and you’ll need 1-2 hours for the second rise. The timing will depend on the temperature in your kitchen and how active the dough is. That being said, plan ahead!
This recipe uses Instant yeast. But if you only have active dry yeast, you can bloom it in lukewarm water for 5 minutes before adding it to the dry ingredients.
This recipe is tested with a 9-inch round cake pan.

Short on time? Make the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 6-8 minutes. You will probably need more flour to get the dough to form into a ball. Let the dough rise for 1 hour and then proceed with the preparation and baking steps (starting at step 3).

Check out my other easy Focaccia recipes:

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