Mozzarella & Tomato Focaccia Appetizer Bites

One of my favorite appetizers from Italian culinary school was these little bites made with tomato focaccia and topped with fresh mozzarella and basil. Simple, so flavorful, and completely made from scratch!

All you need to know about this mozzarella and tomato appetizer is that these were one of my favorite bites from culinary school in Italy.

And that's really saying something after eating the most amazing handmade pasta, Neapolitan pizza, and gelato for 3 months straight.

The key to authentic Italian food is simplicity. And that's exactly what these appetizer bites embody! They're made with a homemade tomato focaccia bread, then topped with fresh mozzarella, basil, and garlic infused olive oil.

Serve them warm, and I promise the whole tray will be gone in minutes!

What You'll Learn In This Recipe

• How to make focaccia bread from scratch, including a few insider tips I learned in culinary school.
• Adding tomato as a focaccia topping and how it imparts so much flavor!
• Simple tricks to ensure your appetizer turns out tasty and with beautiful presentation.

Ingredients You Need

• Bread flour: Always use bread flour, not all purpose flour. It has a higher protein content, which gives the focaccia good texture.
• Instant dry yeast: If needed, substitute with active dry yeast.
• Granulated sugar: Just a little sugar helps give the bread a golden color.
• Canned whole peeled tomatoes: You can also blanch and peel fresh tomatoes to use for the topping instead of a canned option.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Focaccia bread is filled with olive oil, so make sure you choose a good bottle. You'll also need garlic flavored olive oil for the topping.
• Mozzarella cheese: Fresh mozzarella is best. I like purchasing the already sliced mozzarella for ease of assembly.
• Basil leaves: Pick the prettiest basil leaves you can find since they'll be the garnish to the appetizer bites.

Scroll down to the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

How To Make This Recipe

Step 1: To make the focaccia dough, add flour and yeast into a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Add water slowly while the mixer is running on a low speed. Then, pour in the sugar.

Step 2: Next, it's time to incorporate the olive oil. Do this step slowly to avoid large pools of olive oil at the bottom of the dough. It takes time for the oil to hydrate the flour.

Step 3: Add the salt, then continue mixing until all the oil has been incorporated. Bump the mixer up to high and allow the dough to knead until the dough strengthens enough to wrap around the dough hook.

Step 4: The dough will be smooth but still sticky once done. Place it in a bowl to rise until it's tripled in size.

Step 5: The time it takes to rise depends on your environment. A colder kitchen or colder ingredients will need more time to rise. Don't rush this process, as you want the dough to triple in size during this bulk fermentation stage.

Step 6: Oil the bottom of a  9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan, then stretch the dough to fit.

Step 7: Use your fingertips to make indentations on top of the dough. Then crush the tomatoes on top, pour the olive oil for topping, and sprinkle on flaky salt. The water in the tomatoes (a secret trick from culinary school) will help the bread to become super crispy and crunchy. Next, cover and allow the focaccia to proof until tripled in size.

Step 8: Meanwhile, heat the oven to 430°F (220°C). Once the focaccia is ready, remove the cover and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Step 9: Once the focaccia has cooled, slice it into bite-sized pieces. When you're ready to serve, bake the focaccia again until crunchy and warmed through, about 18 - 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C).

Step 10: Finally, top the warmed focaccia with a slice of mozzarella, basil leaf, a drizzle of garlic olive oil, and more Maldon sea salt flakes.

Expert Tips

• Make Ahead: You can prep the focaccia up to 3 months ahead of time and store it in the freezer. Simply bake the focaccia, cool, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and freeze just until it's firm. Place it in an airtight bag or container and store in the freezer until ready to serve. Then, reheat the bread as listed on the recipe card.
• I always suggest baking on light colored pans. They absorb less heat and will more evenly bake your focaccia.
• For the best rise, proof the dough in a warm (75°F - 80°F or 24°C - 27°C), steamy environment. You can use your oven's proof setting, or place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven. The steam keeps the dough from drying out, so there's no need to cover it while it rises.