Roast Tomato Soup with Rosemary Focaccia

This is a really long recipe (all really easy to do though) so I’m not messing about with a huge paragraph about how fabulously warming and comforting and just outstandingly delicious this Roast Tomato Soup with Rosemary Focaccia is… so deep breath, here we go:

FOR THE ‘POOLIE’

30g strong white bread flour
30g lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon fast action dried yeast in a tablespoon of warm water

FOR THE FOCACCIA

500g strong white bread flour
450ml lukewarm water
1 teaspoon fast action dried yeast (the rest of the sachet of yeast if you’ve used one.)
1 teaspoon salt diluted in a tablespoon water
plenty of olive oil

DAY 1

Make the poolie by mixing a teeny dash of yeast with a tablespoon of warm water and let it bubble for a fw mins, then stir it into the flour and water in a jug. Place the jug somewhere warm over night.

DAY 2

You’re essentially making a regular bread dough here but adding the poolie and mixing it all together. Put the flour, water, yeast and olive oil into a bowl along with the poolie but NOT the salt. I used my smeg stand mixer but you can simply bring it together in a bowl and knead it in the bowl for 5 mins. Transfer it into an oiled sealable container such as a large tuppawear, pop the lid on and let it rest for 30 mins

After 30 minutes add the diluted salt and use your fingers to squish it into the dough. Even after just 30 minutes the dough should already start to feel soft. Massage the dough until the salt is absorbed. Pop the lid back on and set aside for another 30 mins.

After 30 mins, drizzle over a dash of olive oil, enough to lubricate your fingers and then do a quick stretch and fold of thee dough. Then place the lid back on and set aside for an hour. Repeat this process three more times over the day, then place the tub in the fridge overnight.

DAY 3

Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come up to room temp – roughly an hour, then transfer it to a well oiled roasting tin. I use a metal tin that measures 30cm x 20cm and is about 6cm deep.

Squish your fingers into the dough, which should be incredibly soft and silky. Air bubbles should start to form on the surface. Do not pop these. Set aside for 30 mins whilst you turn on your oven to 220C fan.

Decorate the top of the focaccia with your favourite herbs and foodie bits. I’m going really classic here with rosemary but the world is your oyster.

Bake for 35 – 45 mins or until the focaccia is puffed and gloriously golden. Set aside to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 mins before tearing into it!

FOR THE SOUP

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes (I love the Napolina brand)
1 onion – peeled and cut into wedges
1 medium potato – peeled and chopped
3 gloves of garlic – skin on
1 length of vine tomatoes (roughly 12 small tomatoes)
3 regular tomatoes – chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 bunch basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
a dash of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon tomato puree
Extra virgin olive oil
¾ litre of vegetable stock
150g feta cheese

I’m using my Saveur Selects 25cm cast iron casserole pan which can go into the oven but any oven-proof dish would work. Pre-heat the oven to 170C (fan.)

Empty the tin of chopped tomatoes into the pot and then add the onions, potatoes, tomato puree, tomato chunks and garlic. Lay the vine tomatoes on top (still on the vine is fine.) Season well with salt and pepper, chilli flakes and dried and fresh herbs and then drizzle liberally with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar

Place into the oven and roast slowly for 30 – 45 mins until the potatoes ar tender and the onions have begun to brown.

Carefully remove from the oven and remove the vine from the tomatoes. Pour over the stock and the wine (if using.) Then crumble over 100g of the feta and stir well.

Pop the lid on and place it back into the oven for a further 20 mins.

Let the soup cool by half before blending with an immersion or stick blender.