There is something about making your own bread that makes you feel inherently good about life. For me — it’s a process that drowns out the noise and creates a bubble of contentment around me. If you, like me, are yet to get into sourdough, here is an easier alternative to get those bread-baking endorphins flowing.

This is a recipe I’ve perfected over the last year. It’s a great way to give away warm bread, use herbs and veggies from my garden, and feel very accomplished throughout the process.

Notes for the Cherry Tomato Focaccia:

• For the round loaf — I split the dough in half and baked them using two 10-inch cast-iron pans. Alternatively, you can bake it in a 9x13 inch pan, or any other pan you have on hand. The smaller. the pan, the thicker the focaccia. The thicker the focaccia, the better for sandwiches.

• Toppings can be substituted with anything you fancy. Vegetables, chili flakes, Italian herbs, and edible flowers. I added herbs and garlic on the bottom for flavor without taking away from the topping.

• For mini basil leaves — I used this opportunity to get myself a leafy basil plant. Much easier than digging through basil packages at the market!

Cherry Tomato Focaccia

Ingredients

Focaccia

1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.)
2 tsp. honey
5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour
5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp kosher salt
6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
4Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for pan
Flaky sea salt, to taste
4 garlic cloves, minced

Cherry tomato Topping

Small tub of red cherry tomatoes, halved
14–20 leaves of basil
Zucchini, a thin peel from the top-down, sliced into batons

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk one envelope of active dry yeast (2¼ tsp), 2 tsp honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water. Let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should foam or at least get creamy. If not, your yeast is probably dead and you’ll need to get a new pack and start over again.

2. In a large bowl that fits into your fridge, measure 5 cups (625 grams) of all-purpose flour, 5 tsp Diamond Crystal salt, or 1 Tbsp kosher salt. Mix with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides and bottoms constantly until the dough comes together and no dry areas remain.

3. Pour 4 tbsp olive oil over the dough. Using the spatula, lift the sides and coat the dough in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (the dough should look bubbly and alive). Chill for at least 8-hours, overnight or up to a day. If you are short on time, let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 3–4 hours.

4. Generously butter two 10 inch cast irons or a 13x9 inch pan. Alternatively, use a baking pan of your choice. The larger the pan, the thinner and crispier the focaccia. To the buttered pans, add the minced garlic and spread evenly on the bottom. Pour another tbsp of olive oil in the center of the pan.

5. Holding the bowl of dough in one hand and a fork in the other. Gather up edges of dough farthest away from you, lift up and over into the center of the bowl. Turning the bowl as you go and repeat the process a couple of times. The goal is to deflate the dough and form it into a rough ball. Transfer the dough to the prepared pans. Pour any leftover oil in the bowl over the dough and turn it over to coat in coal. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry warm spot for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 450°. To see if the dough is ready, poke it and it should spring back slowly, leaving a small indent. If it springs back too quickly, the dough isn’t ready and needs to sit a bit longer. Lightly oil your hands and stretch out the dough to fill the pan(s). Dimple the focaccia dough all over with your fingers, like playing the piano, creating deep depressions in the dough. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

7. At this point, you can decorate the focaccia with whatever topping you are using. Place focaccia in the middle rack and bake until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes. Let cool slightly, slice, and serve.

* Focaccia is best eaten fresh but keeps well in the freezer. Slice it into pieces, store it in a freezer-safe container, then reheat it on a baking sheet or in the toaster.