Spinach Cherry Tomatoes Focaccia

Another quick and easy bread recipe into my collection. This time round is a focaccia, an everyday bread which appears on many western or european dinner tables. Notice I stressed its western or european dinner table, because it ain't a common asian bread. But it is so easy to make! Plus the toppings you can put on the bread is really limitless. This time I made a Spinach flavoured focaccia topped with sweet cherry tomatoes and red onion strips. Simple ingredients that come together to give  you an extraordinary bake.

The flavours of the spinach and tomatoes marry perfectly here, where one is not overpowering the other. And I added semolina flour into the dough which somehow creates a nicer texture to the final bake.

Feel free to change the toppings on the focaccia. Maybe olives, mushrooms, rosemary, basil and even bell peppers will be great choices as well. Let's take a look now what we need for this simple bread:

Ingredients for Spinach Cherry Tomato Focaccia (Serves 4-5)
30g fresh spinach, washed and spin dry
30ml olive oil
50g egg (without shell)
100ml water

280g bread flour
20g semolina flour
1/2 tsp salt
25g caster sugar
4g instant active yeast

1/2 red onion, slice thin
10-12 red cherry tomatoes, halved

Method:

• In a blender container, add in the spinach, olive oil, egg and the water. Blend for 30 seconds to a minute till smooth. Set aside for use later.
• In a mixing bowl, add in the rest of the ingredients except the toppings. Then add in the above blended spinach mixture. Start kneading the mixture till it comes together.
• The dough will be slightly sticky in the beginning, but continue to knead till it pulls away clean from the side of the bowl and very elastic.
• Place the dough into a greased bowl and let proof till it doubled in size or when you poke the dough, it doesn't spring back.

• Place the dough on a clean work surface and roll out to about 1 to 1.5 cm thickness. Shape of the dough can be free form, no need to be stressed about it. Sometimes rustic can be a beauty too. Let the dough proof for 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 170C. Place your cherry tomatoes and onion strips in a small bowl. Add about 1 tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of sea salt. Mix well.
• Press the cherry tomatoes into the dough over the surface. Then sprinkle the red onion strips all over as well. Then lightly drizzle the focaccia surface with some olive oil

• Send the proved dough into the preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or till the surface is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack. Serve with soup or some savoury protein. Enjoy!

The best part about baking bread is to enjoy it freshly baked that very day. Whether with a bowl of warm creamy soup or with some savoury protein, I am sure this focaccia fits most of the dinning occasion.

Super love that rustic look on this bread! 

I cannot tell you how much I love that spinach green in this bread. Plus the kids weren't too bothered about eating it too since it was so soft. Another hidden vegetable consumed happily haha!

Do try this out and let me know how it goes. 
So until next post guys, happy baking!