Tomato Herb FOcaccia

Ingredients:
Crust
  • 2.5 Cups Hudson Cream Short Patent Flour
  • 1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 Teaspoon Sugar
  • 1 Cup very warm water (110 degrees F)
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Toppings
  • 1-2 Medium Tomatoes (or 8-10 Cherry/Grape Tomatoes)
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • Kosher/Coarse Salt (optional)
Directions:
Crust
  • Mix the sugar, yeast, and water together in a bowl and let set in a warm place for 15 minutes.
  • While waiting for the yeast: In a large bowl, combine olive oil, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.   
  • Add yeast mixture to the large bowl and beat with mixers for 1 minute.  Add 1.5 Cups of the flour and beat until well mixed. 
  • Stir in remaining 1 Cup of flour to form a dough. 
  • Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until dough is soft.  (You may need to add very small amounts of flour if dough is still sticky.  Avoid adding to much flour or dough will be tough). 
  • Place dough in a greased bowl.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. 
  • Gently push dough down and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Turn dough out onto a greased  9x13 baking sheet, pressing it out with your fingers (OR if using a larger sized baking sheet, shape dough into a 9x13 sized rectangle).   
  • Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. 
  • While dough is rising, slice tomatoes very thin.   Place on paper towels and lightly press down to absorb moisture.  Let sit while dough is rising, changing paper towels out as needed.  
  • When dough is finished rising, use two fingers to make dimples every 1/2 inch, covering the entire pan.  
  • Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil.  
  • ​​Sprinkle with cheeses and top with tomatoes.  
  • Sprinkle top with coarse salt.
Cooking Instructions:
  • Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.  
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.