A soft, light and airy Cherry Tomato Focaccia topped with salty anchovies and fragrant oregano. Bursting with umami and bright tomato sweetness, this focaccia is ideal as a snack, starter or summer side. The recipe uses an easy overnight no‑knead focaccia dough and simple folding techniques to create a bubbly, tender crumb.
This topping is remarkably straightforward yet full of flavour: salty anchovies, juicy sweet cherry tomatoes and a scattering of dried oregano. It pairs beautifully with other nibbles such as marinated olives and bocconcini mozzarella.
The dough relies on a gentle folding method and an overnight cold fermentation — that longer proof builds better texture and flavor, so plan to prepare the dough the day before baking.
Table of Contents
- What you need
- Visual walk-through of the recipe
- Recipe tips and FAQs
- More pizza and focaccia recipes to try
- Full Recipe
What you need
- One batch of overnight no‑knead focaccia dough (recipe below)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ripe cherry tomatoes (or baby plum tomatoes)
- Salted anchovy fillets (omit if you prefer — substitute with extra tomatoes or sun‑dried tomatoes for umami)
- Dried oregano
Visual walk-through of the recipe
The full written recipe and a video demonstrating the folding techniques are included in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Mix the dough ingredients until no dry flour remains; it will be wet and slightly rough in texture.
Step 2 – Perform corner folds: wet your hand, lift one edge and fold it into the centre. Repeat around the dough, cover and rest 30 minutes. Repeat the corner fold once more.
Step 3 – Do two coil folds: wet your hands, lift the dough from the centre and let it fall back so the edges fold inward. Turn the bowl and repeat from the opposite side. Rest 30 minutes, repeat, then refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.
Step 4 – Grease a baking tray with olive oil. Remove the chilled dough from the bowl, place it in the tray and gently stretch to fit. Cover and let it proof at room temperature until nearly doubled.
Step 5 – Oil your hands and create dimples all over the surface with your fingers. Arrange halved cherry tomatoes and anchovy fillets across the dough, sprinkle dried oregano and drizzle olive oil.
Step 6 – Bake at a high temperature until golden and crisp at the edges (about 20–25 minutes). Let rest 10–15 minutes before slicing; serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Use a kitchen scale: weighing flour ensures consistent results — measuring by volume can lead to too much or too little flour.
- Proofing time varies: dough will proof faster in a warm kitchen and slower in a cool one. Adjust accordingly.
For this version, yes. Using a small amount of yeast with a long, cold fermentation improves both texture and flavour. If you’re short on time, the dough can be used sooner, but the result will be less developed.
More pizza and focaccia recipes to try
Pizza
Focaccia Pizza
Bread & Savory Bakes
Walnut Focaccia
Bread & Savory Bakes
Easy Overnight No Knead Focaccia
Pizza
Sicilian Pizza (Lo Sfincione)
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step photos, tips and a video to guide you through the technique.
Cherry Tomato Focaccia with Anchovies and Oregano
By Emily
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g Italian 00 flour (approx 3 3/4 cups, spooned and levelled)
- 400 ml water (1 2/3 cups)
- 1 g (1/4 tsp) instant yeast (check packet instructions)
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing and topping
- 7 g fine salt (1 level tsp)
For the topping
- 200 g (7 oz) cherry tomatoes (about 20), halved
- 50 g (2 oz) salted anchovies (about 14 fillets)
- Dried oregano
- Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
The day before
- Place the flour in a large bowl and add yeast and salt at opposite sides. If your yeast requires activation, follow the packet instructions.
- Add the water and stir to form a rough dough. Mix in the olive oil and stir until there are no dry bits; the dough should be wet and sticky.
- Cover with plastic wrap and rest 30 minutes.
- Wet your hands and perform one round of corner folds, folding each edge into the centre. Cover and rest 30 minutes, then repeat the corner folds once more.
- Wet your hands and perform a coil fold: lift the dough from the centre until the edges release from the bowl, let it fall and repeat until the dough can be lifted without tearing. Turn the bowl and repeat from the opposite side.
- Let rest 30 minutes and repeat the coil fold sequence two more times with 30-minute rests between. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.
Same day of baking
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place it in a well-oiled baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and cover. Let proof at room temperature until nearly doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F). Oil your hands and drizzle a little oil over the dough. Use your fingers to create dimples across the surface without deflating large air pockets.
- Top with halved cherry tomatoes, anchovies and a sprinkling of dried oregano. Drizzle with more olive oil and bake 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and rest 10–15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best eaten the same day.
Notes
Instant yeast: check the packet — some require activation in water. If needed, use a portion of the recipe water to activate.
Storage: Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat or serve at room temperature.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- Extra virgin olive oil is used unless stated otherwise.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 346 kcal | Carbohydrates: 49 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 13 g | Sodium: 815 mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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