Tomato and Marjoram Focaccia

As September lingers between summer’s warmth and autumn’s first cool whispers, we turn to the kitchen for simple, comforting bakes to share. Flora’s tomato and marjoram focaccia makes the most of the season’s late harvest – sweet tomatoes, soft shallot, garlic and fragrant herbs – all atop a golden, airy loaf left to rise slowly overnight. Best enjoyed still warm, it’s a bread for gathering round the table, tearing and savouring together.

Ingredients
500g strong white bread flour (if you can get extra strong/Canadian bread flour even better!)
400g water
7g salt
7g dried yeast
25g extra virgin olive oil
50g water

Extra virgin olive oil
250g mixed cherry tomatoes
1 small banana shallot
5 cloves of garlic
15g marjoram
10g additional woody herbs (thyme, sage and rosemary all work here)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper

Method
1. The night before baking place all the focaccia ingredients in the bowl of a freestanding mixer with dough hook attachment. Mix on a low speed for 5 minutes then turn up to a high speed and mix for a further 5 minutes. Turn off and allow to sit in the bowl for 30 minutes.

2. Add the additional 50g of water and mix again for another 5 minutes on low speed and then again for another 5 on high. The dough shough be very stretchy and wet.

3. Lightly oil a large airtight container and add the dough. Place in the fridge overnight.

4. A few hours before you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge. Oil a roasting tray roughly 20cm x 30cm generously. Pour the dough (it should be a little bubbly from the overnight prove) into the tin and use your hands to stretch out. Set aside to prove at room temperature for 2 hours.

5. Half an hour before the dough has fully proved, preheat the oven to 220C FAN.

6. Half the tomatoes.

7. Cut the shallots and the garlic very finely lengthways.

8. Pick the leaves from the herbs.

9. Sprinkle the tomatoes, shallots, garlic and herbs evenly over the surface of the focaccia. Add the salt and pepper then drizzle generously with more oil. Use your fingers to make indents into the dough and also to semi submerge the toppings. You should notice this increases the amount of bubbles on the surface.

10. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning half way through, or until really well coloured and fully cooked.

11. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Use a knife to make sure the edges aren't stuck to the tin.

12. Once cooled a little carefully remove from the tin using a spatula or fish slice (you make need to do this gently in case any has stuck to the bottom).

13. Allow to cool fully on a cooling rack then slice and serve immediately.