Roasted Tomato, Pesto, and Stracciatella Sourdough Focaccia

Roasted Tomato, Pesto, and Stracciatella Sourdough Focaccia

Prep Time: 45 minutes, overnight rest period

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 8 - 10 people

Ingredients:

Sourdough Focaccia

• 75 g active sourdough starter
• 10 g kosher salt
• 410 g water
• 500 g bread flour
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

Toppings

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Stracciatella, about 4 oz
• Basil pesto, about 2 - 3 oz
• Flaky salt
• 12 - 14 basil leaves

Directions:

1. SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA: Place the starter, water, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk.
2. Add the bread flour and stir/knead until well combined and no flour clumps remain. This will take about 2-3 minutes.
3. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes, then perform one set of folds: from the outside, grab the dough and fold towards the center. Do this 4-6 times.
4. Form the dough into a rough ball and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil (to coat). Cover with a towel and let the dough rise at room temp for an initial rise, between 8-12 hours. The dough should about double in size (if not more) during the rise
5. Punch the dough down and reshape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
6. The next day, prepare a large cast iron or a 9x13 pan by coating with 2 tbsp olive oil. Take the dough out of the fridge and place in the baking vessel. Fold the sides of the dough 4 times like an envelope, then flip over so the seam is on the bottom. Let rise for another 4-5 hours, until nearly doubled and puffy.
7. TOPPINGS: While the focacccia is proofing, prepare the toppings. Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the cherry tomatoes in a pyrex or ceramic dish and place the garlic halves cut-side up.
8. Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with 2 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 18 - 22 minutes, until the tomatoes start to burst and get some color. Turn the oven to broil and roast for 3-4 minutes until the tops are blistered. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
9. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their pods and discard the skins, putting the cloves back in with the roasted tomatoes.
10. ASSEMBLE: Once the focaccia has nearly doubled in size, preheat the oven to 425F. Drizzle the sourdough lightly with olive oil, then dimple the dough with your fingers.
11. Spoon the roasted tomatoes and garlic on top of the focaccia. If your tomatoes released a lot of juice during the cooking process, drain most of the juices out before spooning the tomatoes on. Lightly press the tomatoes down into the focaccia dough with your fingers.
12. Spoon on dollops of the pesto evenly around the focaccia, then sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes.
13. Spoon the stracciatella evenly onto the focaccia and garnish with the fresh basil leaves. Slice and serve. Store in the fridge.