cherry tomato + chive focaccia bread

can you just eat bread for dinner?

asking for myself. this bread was technically supposed to be the crust for a flatbread pizza (coming soon, fingers crossed), but work and Netflix happily got the best of me this week and this bread got so much love that I figured I’d share the recipe!

it’s really just a variation of the rosemary + sea salt focaccia bread. I always love trying different focaccia bread toppings & cherry tomatoes + chives makes everything feel summery even when most of us have spent the last several months baking in the house like it’s December.

[lt_recipe name=”cherry tomato and chive focaccia bread” summary=”equipment needed : kitchen thermometer. baking mat. 2 baking sheet pans” print=”yes” ingredients=”1 teaspoon granulated sugar;2 + 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast;1/4 cup of your best olive oil, plus and additional 3 tablespoons;1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt;4 cups flour, plus 1/2 cup for shaping and kneading;2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved;2 tablespoons cup chives, chopped + more for serving;2 teaspoons coarse sea salt;freshly ground black pepper, to taste” ]in a large mixing bowl, proof the yeast: dissolve the sugar in 1 1/2 cups of warm water (between 105 and 115 degrees). sprinkle the yeast over the water and allow to sit, without mixing, for about 5 minutes. the yeast should become foamy and start to bubble – this is how you know the yeast is alive and ready to use. if the water is too hot, the yeast will die and you’ll never to throw out the mixture and start over.;;stir in olive oil and the teaspoon of kosher salt. slowly add in flour and mix until a soft and sticky dough forms. once formed, turn dough out onto a well-floured surface or baking mat. the dough should be slightly sticky, but not unworkable. add flour to your hands and dough as needed. crush the rosemary and thyme in your hands work into the dough. knead for about 10 minutes;;coat the mixing bowl with about a teaspoon of olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a dry kitchen towel. let rise in a warm area for an hour.;;preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. lightly coat a baking sheet with a teaspoon of olive oil. spread halved tomatoes on the baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes. allow to cool for about 10 minutes before topping the dough.;;coat a separate baking sheet with about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. using your hands, spread dough to cover the bottom of the baking sheet. drizzle the top of the dough with the remaining olive oil and, using your fingers, make dimples all over the top of the dough. add roasted tomatoes in the cavities of the dough. top with sea salt, black pepper and fresh chives.;;bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. top with extra chopped chives.[/lt_recipe]