OLIVE AND TOMATO FOCACCIA

No, I haven't started baking bread. I may give it a try someday... but probably not. This is sort of a cheater Focaccia, and more like a doughy pizza but it was really good.

I started with a ball of Trader Joe's Garlic Herb fresh pizza dough. You let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes and then stretch it out with your fingers. It gets spread into a glass baking dish and then topped with tapenade and tomatoes and baked until puffy and golden.

This is one of those recipes that you can top with anything you want and it will be delish.  Artichoke hearts and sliced olives would be good as would any kind of cheese. Think of this as a garlic and herb blank canvas. You can also use the plain pizza dough from TJ's and spice it up any way you like.

                                                

                                                              OLIVE AND TOMATO FOCACCIA

Pizza dough, at room temperature

1 TBSP. olive oil (more if needed, I used more)

3-4 TBSP. Olive Tapenade

2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Open the pizza dough and place it on a floured surface for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400~. Coat a 8 x 12" glass baking dish with a bit of olive oil and spread around the dish. Season the dish with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Gently knead the dough a few times then stretch the dough out with your fingers and place it into the baking dish, pressing the dough down into the bottom of the dish. Use your fingers to punch tiny indentations into the top of the dough. Drizzle more olive oil on top of the dough then spread the tapenade evenly over the top, next layer the tomato slices on top. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Bake until the focaccia is puffy and golden, 25-30 minutes.

Cut into pieces and serve.

Recipe from www.fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/