Tomato Focaccia With Herbs (No-Knead Recipe)
Updated Apr 18, 2025, Published Aug 16, 2021
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This no-knead Italian recipe for tomato focaccia is sensational. The soft interior and crispy, salty, herby outer layer meet the sweetest, jammy-cooked tomato to create the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
You will also love these focaccia recipes: No-Knead Focaccia, Focaccia with Raspberries and Apples, and Brie Focaccia.
Why This Recipe Stands Out
You’ll find tomato focaccia in all the bread bakeries in Italy—and it has been a personal favorite of mine since childhood! The warm slices of focaccia are sliced and wrapped in parchment paper for a little snack, ‘al volo, ‘ on the fly. Bring this mouthwatering jammy tomato focaccia with herbs to your cucina today! Best part? It is no-knead and super easy to make. (You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook to make this bread!).
“I just made this for a dinner party and almost didn’t get a piece because people were coming back for seconds before I even got one! Not only does it taste delicious but it was super easy to make and that is coming from someone who is NOT a baker. Can’t wait to make this again with my garden tomatoes.”
– Georgia
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
- Active dry yeast (instant yeast)
- Lukewarm water
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour or bread flour
- Kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
- Unsalted butter, for greasing pan
- Flake sea salt
- Italian herbs (thyme, oregano, and fresh rosemary)
- Heirloom tomato, cut into slices
- Garlic, sliced thin
Variations
You can use all kinds of toppings and herb combinations for this recipe. Try different things to find your perfect focaccia!
- Balsamic drizzle: Lightly drizzle balsamic reduction over the bread before serving.
- Tomatoes: Try sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh for a deeper, sweeter flavor.
- Herbs and Spices: Use fresh basil or red pepper flakes along with (or instead of) what I have listed.
- Cheese: Crumble fresh feta cheese or burrata to add some creamy goodness.
- Pesto: Add dollops of pesto between the tomato slices before baking
How To Make Tomato Focaccia
This is a step-by-step photo overview of this Italian pasta dish; the full instrcutions are in the recipe card below.
Start by combining lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl. Let it sit until foamy.Mix in flour and salt until a sticky, shaggy dough forms. Place dough in a large oiled bowl, turning to coat (don’t mix in the oil). Cover and refrigerate 8–24 hours until bubbly and doubled. Grease your baking pan with butter and olive oil. Punch down the dough, turn it a few times, and transfer to the pan. Let rise again, uncovered, in a warm spot until doubled in size—this final rise can take 1½ to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Check if the dough is ready by poking it—it should slowly spring back and leave a dent. Lightly oil your hands and dimple the dough all over with your fingertips (the fun part!). Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with flaky salt and herbs, and top with tomato slices and garlic. Bake until golden and puffed, about 20–30 minutes. Optionally, brush with more olive oil right after baking. Enjoy warm or at room temp—delicious either way!
What Tomatoes Work Well For Focaccia?
I love the uniquely sweet and beautiful presentation of heirloom tomatoes! With that said, they can sometimes be difficult to find and are often more expensive. Other fresh tomato varieties I recommend:
- Roma
- Cherry tomatoes of any kind (cut in half)
- Beefsteak
- Plum
- Campari
Any tomatoes that are ripe, sweet, and not mushy or tasteless :).
My Expert Tips
- High Hydration Dough – Use a well-hydrated dough (70-80%) for an airy, soft texture.
- Cold Fermentation = More Flavor – Let the dough rest in the fridge overnight for the best taste.
- Generous Olive Oil – Coat the pan and dough liberally for a crispy bottom and rich flavor.
- Perfect Dimples – Press deeply with oiled fingers to create pockets for herbs, tomatoes, and olive oil.
- Ripe Tomatoes – use ripe and flavorful tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Hot Oven, Crispy Bottom – Bake at 450°F (230°C) on a preheated baking stone or steel for the best texture.
- Finish with Fresh Herbs – Sprinkle fresh basil after baking for a bright, fragrant touch.
FAQ’s
Add sun-dried tomatoes just before baking, pressing them gently into the top of the dough after dimpling and before drizzling with olive oil. This ensures they stay flavorful and don’t burn.
Focaccia is an Italian flatbread made with a higher amount of olive oil, giving it a rich, tender texture and crisp, golden crust. It’s also typically dimpled before baking and topped with herbs or other ingredients like tomatoes, making it more flavorful and rustic than standard sandwich bread.
Serving Suggestions
Focaccia bread can be eaten as it is. The addition of tomatoes almost gives it a pizza-like taste. Focaccia can be cut into a variety of shapes, including squares, long skinny rectangles, and triangles.
Since focaccia is pretty thick, focaccia can be sliced in half and used for making sandwiches like my mortadella sandwich. Stuff it with ham, mozzarella, and more tomatoes, and slather it with fresh homemade pesto.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
- Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it to let it rise.
- Storage: Store baked focaccia in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: To freeze focaccia, cut it in pieces, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, place it in a resealable plastic freezer bag, and freeze for up to 1 month. *I do not recommend freezing the tomatoes. Remove them before freezing.
- Reheat in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes.
More Italian Bread Recipes:
- Crusty Bread
- Ciabatta Bread
- Pinsa Romana
- Neapolitan Pizza Dough
- The Best Italian Bread-Dipping Oil
- Italian brioche recipe
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Tomato Herb Focaccia Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼-ounce envelope active dry yeast, about 2¼ tsp.
- 2 ½ cups lukewarm water (98 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 36.5 to 40.5 Celsius), 590 ml
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, 625 g
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands such as, COLAVITA
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing pan
- Flaked sea salt, such a Maldons
- 1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs, thyme, oregano, and rosemary
- 1 large heirloom tomato, cut into slices
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
Instructions
- Place 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium/large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Stir slightly but do not mix. Let sit 5-10 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again—check the expiration date!).
- Add flour and kosher salt and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain. It will seem a little wet. That is normal.
- Pour 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Turn over a few times, but do NOT mix in the oil with the dough. Cover plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. If you’re in a rush, you can also let it rise at room temperature in a warm place until doubled in size, 3–4 hours. The longer you let it raise in the fridge the more it flavorful it will be.
- Grease your desired baking pan or baking sheet depended on preference (classic 9X13 glass baking dish or 9X13 cookie sheet ) with butter. Add the 1 Tbs olive oil to the baking pan and coat bottom. Take out dough from the fridge, uncover, and punch down one time. Then turn the dough over a few times in the bowl. Move dough to the prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of the fridge or a preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you won’t need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers. This is my favorite part! Keep poking away until there are lots of poke marks in the dough.
- Drizzle the top of poked dough with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and herbs. Place the tomato slices gently on top of the dough and distribute garlic over the top. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes. Optional: brush lightly with olive oil at the right after taking it out of the oven. Enjoy warm or cold!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is such a great recipe. I already love and make your original focaccia recipe all the time, but this was just a bit extra with yummy herbs and tomatoes. It was almost giving pizza flavor vibes and the whole family loved it! I also love how simple it is to throw this together.
So happy you loved this delicious pizza like focaccia recipe!
I just made this for a dinner party and almost didn’t get a piece because people were coming back for seconds before I even got one! Not only does it taste delicious but it was super easy to make and that is coming from someone who is NOT a baker. Can’t wait to make this again with my garden tomatoes.
YAY!! So happy everyone loved it. You need to sneak some before serving next time 😆. It’s even better with those fresh summer tomatoes.
Really easy, great recipe. I did put the dough in fridge for 24 hours, used tomatoes and roasted garlic and rosemary
It’s so yummy! Happy it turned out delicious for you!
Amazing focaccia! I used avocado oil as I didn’t have enough olive oil and an 8×11 dish, and fresh Roma tomatoes. It was sooo good and fluffy! Best focaccia I’ve ever had and so easy to make. I did a quick rise and it was perfect. We ate it with some dairy free creamy chicken gnocchi and spinach and it just went perfectly. Thank you so much for this recipe! It will be my go to focaccia from now on!
Hola Elena, me encantan tus recetas, quiero hacerte una consulta en las recetas de panes y focaccias, no hay cantidades de cada ingrediente, me las podrías enviar?,
gracias
Saludos
Cristina