Editorial: Kockums JernverkPublished: 2026-11-06

Focaccia with cherry tomatoes and olives

Name: Focaccia with cherry tomatoes and olives
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 10 g fresh yeast or 3 g fast-action dried yeast; 320 ml lukewarm water; 400 g strong white bread flour; 1 ½ tsp fine salt; 1 tbsp olive oil; 6 tbsp olive oil; 250 g cherry tomatoes; 75 g pitted black olives; 1 tsp flaky sea salt; A handful of fresh basil leaves

Makes 8 pieces · 3 hours · Baking tin

A loose, airy dough that rises straight in the oiled enamel tin. The oil fries the base golden and crisp, while the top is studded with tomatoes, olives and flaky salt.

Focaccia is best made from a wet dough that rises slowly and is folded rather than kneaded. Give it its final rise in a generously oiled tin, press in deep dimples, top with tomatoes and olives and bake at 230 °C until the base is crisp.

Golden dimpled focaccia with halved cherry tomatoes and black olives in a black enamelled baking tin on a wire rack, with basil and flaky salt around

Ingredients

Makes 8 pieces

Dough

10 g fresh yeast or 3 g fast-action dried yeast
320 ml lukewarm water
400 g strong white bread flour
1 ½ tsp fine salt
1 tbsp olive oil

For the tin and topping

6 tbsp olive oil
250 g cherry tomatoes
75 g pitted black olives
1 tsp flaky sea salt
A handful of fresh basil leaves

Method

Stir the yeast into the lukewarm water in a large bowl. Add the flour, salt and 1 tbsp oil and mix to a loose, sticky dough. Do not knead it. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Fold the dough three times at 20-minute intervals: wet your hand, lift one edge of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over the rest. Turn the bowl a quarter and repeat all the way round. Leave covered for 20 minutes after the last fold.
Pour 4 tbsp oil into the baking tin and add the dough. Turn it so it is oiled on both sides, then gently press it out towards the corners. If it springs back, wait 10 minutes and try again.
Cover and leave to rise in the tin for about 45 minutes, until airy and bubbly. Heat the oven to 230 °C.
Halve the tomatoes. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over the dough and press deep dimples with your fingertips right down to the base. Push in the tomatoes, cut side up, and the olives, then scatter over the flaky salt.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 22–25 minutes, until golden on top. Lift a corner with a spatula to check the underside is crisp.
Slide the focaccia straight onto a wire rack so the base stays crisp. Drizzle with the last tablespoon of oil, scatter over the basil and serve warm.

Why it works

The oil in the black enamel tin gets hot in the oven and practically fries the underside of the focaccia, so it turns golden and crisp while the crumb stays open. The straight sides keep the soft dough from spreading.

FAQ

Can focaccia dough rise overnight?

Yes. After folding, cover the dough and refrigerate it for 12–24 hours. Put it in the oiled tin and let it rise at room temperature for 1–1½ hours before baking.