Cheesy Tomato Focaccia Rolls

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 4 cups (500 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) lukewarm water (about 100°F / 38°C)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for the dough
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan and topping
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups (about 225 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups (170 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
• 1/4 cup (25 g) finely grated Parmesan
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
• Small handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

How to make cheesy tomato focaccia rolls

1. Step 1.

   Stir the flour, yeast, fine salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the water and 3 tablespoons olive oil, and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon for about 1 minute, until no dry flour is left and the dough is a shaggy, sticky mass.

2. Step 2.

   Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at warm room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled and bubbly.

3. Step 3.

   Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9 × 13-inch baking pan and tilt to coat the bottom and sides. Dust the dough and a work surface lightly with flour, then divide the dough into 12 pieces, about 70 g each.

4. Step 4.

   Shape each piece by pulling the edges to the center to form a loose ball, then flip it seam-side down and roll it gently under your cupped hand. Arrange the rolls in the pan in three rows of four. Cover and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy and touching.

5. Step 5.

   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Stir the garlic and oregano into the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

6. Step 6.

   Press the rolls with oiled fingertips to dimple the tops. Brush with the garlic oil, then press the tomato halves, cut side up, into the dough. Sprinkle with flaky salt.

7. Step 7.

   Bake for 12 minutes. Scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan over the rolls and bake for 10 to 14 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and speckled with brown, the tomatoes are blistered and the rolls sound hollow when tapped on the base.

8. Step 8.

   Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Scatter with the basil and pull the rolls apart to serve.

A wet dough that does the work for you

Focaccia is made from a dough with more water than most bread, which is why it comes out open, moist and tender. At about 70 percent hydration, this one is sticky but still manageable for rolls. Because the flour has time to absorb the water on its own while the dough rests, the gluten forms without kneading. All that is left to do is stir, wait and shape. Bread flour gives a slightly chewier roll; all-purpose flour makes a softer one. Both work.

Oil is an ingredient, not a garnish

The oil in the pan fries the bottoms to a crisp, golden finish, and the oil brushed on top gives the tops their sheen and keeps the tomatoes from drying out. Use a good extra-virgin olive oil, since you will taste it. Do not skimp on the pan oil; the dough needs it to release cleanly, and the base of the rolls will not brown without it.

Reading the dough instead of the clock

Rise times depend on the temperature of the room. The first rise is done when the dough has roughly doubled and is dotted with bubbles on the surface. The second is ready when the shaped rolls look puffy, touch each other and spring back slowly when pressed lightly. In a cold kitchen both can take longer, so use the look of the dough, not the minutes, as your guide.

The dough can also rise in the refrigerator, covered, for 8 to 16 hours. Cold fermentation develops more flavor. Divide and shape straight from the refrigerator, then let the rolls rise for 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature before baking.

Keeping the tomatoes from making the rolls soggy

Cherry tomatoes are mostly water, and they release juice as they bake. Cutting them in half and pressing them in cut side up lets the juice run onto the dough in a controlled way and concentrates the flavor as it reduces. Sprinkling a little salt over them helps. If the tomatoes are especially juicy, blot the cut sides on a towel first.

Baking and checking doneness

A hot 425°F oven gives the rolls lift and a golden, crisp base. To confirm they are done, lift one roll with a spatula and look underneath: the base should be golden brown. A thermometer pushed into the center of a roll should read about 195°F (90°C). If the cheese browns too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last few minutes.

Serving and storing

Serve the rolls warm, straight from the pan, for the best contrast between crisp bottoms and soft centers. They are good for passing around at a party because each roll is a single portion with no cutting. Leftovers keep, wrapped, at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days because of the cheese; reheat at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Baked rolls can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Variations

Extra savory: add 1/4 cup sliced olives or a spoonful of pesto brushed on top of the dough before the tomatoes.

Herb version: replace the oregano with fresh rosemary, finely chopped, for a more traditional focaccia flavor.