This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

Daily polyphenols. Heart & Brain Health. Cardiologist formulated. *** Shop our Healthiest Olive Oil · 1,000+ MG/KG POLYPHENOLS ***
UK customers — find us on Healf →
Easy Caprese Focaccia

Easy Caprese Focaccia

This caprese focaccia bakes up crisp and golden at the edges with a soft, airy crumb, then gets topped with fresh mozzarella, sweet tomatoes, and basil. The olive oil in the dough and pan is what gives it that rich flavor and lacy crust, and a raw finishing drizzle brings a bright, peppery note to the caprese on top.

By Olivea Kitchen | Published July 23, 2026

Jump to Recipe
Prep 20 min
Cook 25 min
Total 165 min
Intermediate

Why We Love This Recipe

Caprese focaccia keeps good company on the plate. Ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella are the kind of simple, whole ingredients at the center of the Mediterranean table, and a warm square of this bread carries all three at once alongside its whole-grain-forward, olive-oil-rich crumb.

The dough and the pan both start with High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, our smooth cooking oil pressed from single-origin Messinia olives, cold-pressed within hours of harvest and qNMR-verified by the University of Athens. It is rich in polyphenols, including hydroxytyrosol, the compound behind the gentle peppery note you taste at the back of the throat. That taste and those polyphenols are one and the same, developed alongside Harvard-trained cardiologists as part of a Mediterranean way of eating that leans on olive oil as its cornerstone fat.

Polyphenols are highest in fresh oil and soften with time, light, and heat, so the raw finish is where a fresh bottle gives the most to the plate. Just before serving, a thread of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the tomatoes and basil adds a bold, peppery lift. If you want to read more about the compounds themselves, the polyphenol research is a good place to start. Enjoyed this way, caprese focaccia fits naturally into the Mediterranean diet pattern that supports how many cooks like to eat every day.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Let the dough tell you when it is ready

A slow rise builds the open, bubbly crumb focaccia is known for. The dough is ready when it has doubled and looks puffy and jiggly. If your kitchen is cool, give it extra time rather than rushing it with more yeast.

Taste your finishing oil first

The raw drizzle is where the olive oil flavor really comes through, so use one you love the taste of. High-phenolic oil has a peppery, slightly bitter edge at the finish. That is the flavor and the polyphenols arriving together, and it plays beautifully against sweet tomato and mild mozzarella.

Dry your tomatoes and cheese

Pat the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella dry before they go on the dough. Excess moisture steams the top and softens the crust, and you want those edges crisp. A quick blot with a paper towel makes a real difference.

Add the basil after baking

Fresh basil scorches and turns dark in a hot oven. Scatter it over the focaccia once it comes out, while the surface is still warm, so it stays green and fragrant.

Do not skimp on the pan oil

The olive oil in the bottom of the pan fries the underside of the focaccia as it bakes, which is what gives you that deep golden, almost lacy crust. Coat the pan generously and pour a little more over the top before dimpling.

Ingredients

12
servings
  • 1/2 cup High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 500 g (about 4 cups) Bread flour
  • 1 2/3 cups Warm water
  • 2 1/4 tsp Instant yeast
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 8 oz Fresh mozzarella, torn or sliced
  • about 2 cups Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup, loosely packed Fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tsp Flaky sea salt, for topping

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Large mixing bowl
9x13-inch metal baking pan or quarter sheet pan
Kitchen scale
Plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel
Serrated knife or bench scraper
Small bowl for the finishing oil

How to Cook Easy Caprese Focaccia

Make the dough

1
In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, instant yeast, and kosher salt.
2
Add the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This smooth cooking oil works right into the crumb and gives the bread its rich, savory base.
3
Mix with a sturdy spoon or your hand until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy, sticky dough. It will look rough, and that is fine.

First rise

4
Drizzle a little more olive oil over the dough and turn it to coat.
5
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled and looks puffy, about 1.5 to 2 hours. For deeper flavor, you can refrigerate it overnight and bring it back to room temperature before shaping.

Dimple and top

6
Pour about 3 tablespoons of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil into your baking pan and spread it to coat the bottom and sides. The oil fries the underside as it bakes for a golden, crisp crust.
7
Transfer the dough to the pan and gently stretch it toward the corners. If it resists, let it rest 10 minutes, then stretch again.
8
Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over the top, then press your fingertips all the way down to make deep dimples across the surface.
9
Pat the tomatoes and mozzarella dry, then press them into the dimples. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
10
Let the topped dough rest, uncovered, for about 20 minutes while the oven heats.

Bake

11
Heat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
12
Bake the focaccia for 22 to 26 minutes, until the crust is deep golden at the edges and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
13
Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift it onto a board.

Finish and serve

14
Scatter the fresh basil over the warm focaccia so it stays green and fragrant.
15
Just before serving, finish with a raw drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the top. Poured on at the end, this bold, peppery oil brings a bright lift to the sweet tomatoes and creamy mozzarella.
16
Cut into squares and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

This is a friendly base to riff on. For a simpler summer bread, try our classic tomato focaccia. When you want something more aromatic, a fragrant rosemary focaccia is lovely alongside soups, and for garlic lovers our garlic focaccia makes a standout sandwich base.
The High Phenolic oil is the workhorse here: it goes in the dough and coats the pan, standing up to the heat of the oven and building flavor into the crust. The Ultra High Phenolic oil is bolder and more peppery, so it stays raw and goes on at the very end where its flavor shines.
Focaccia is best the day it is baked. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, and warm slices in a 350 F oven for a few minutes to bring back the crisp edges. Refrigerating tends to dry the crumb, so the counter is the better spot for a day.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 piece (about 90 g)
Calories 300
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14 g18%
Saturated Fat 4 g20%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 15 mg5%
Sodium 380 mg17%
Total Carbohydrate 33 g12%
Dietary Fiber 2 g7%
Total Sugars 1 g
Protein 9 g
Vitamin D 0 mcg0%
Calcium 90 mg7%
Iron 2 mg11%
Potassium 90 mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits

Love the peppery finish of high-phenolic olive oil but cannot always cook with it. The Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement is an easy, no-cook way to make those same olive polyphenols a daily habit, whatever is on the menu.

Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
$40.00
Add to Cart

Frequently Asked Questions

Caprese focaccia is a soft, olive-oil-rich Italian flatbread topped with the classic caprese trio of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. It bakes up crisp at the edges and pillowy in the middle, and it works as an appetizer, a side, or the base for a summer sandwich.
No. This is a no-knead style dough that you can mix by hand with a sturdy spoon. The long rise does the work of developing the dough, so a bowl and a little patience are all you really need.
Use a good extra virgin olive oil you enjoy the taste of, since it flavors both the crumb and the crust. A smooth high-phenolic oil is ideal for the dough and pan because it stands up to the oven heat, and a bolder, more peppery oil is great drizzled on raw at the end.
The most common reason is not enough oil in the pan. A generous layer of olive oil in the bottom of a metal pan essentially fries the underside as it bakes, which gives you that deep golden, crisp crust. A metal pan also conducts heat better than glass for this.
Yes. After mixing, you can cover the dough and refrigerate it overnight, which also deepens the flavor. Bring it back to room temperature and let it finish rising before you stretch it into the pan and add the toppings.
Add fresh basil after the focaccia comes out of the oven, not before. Basil scorches and turns dark under high heat, so scattering it over the warm bread keeps it green, fragrant, and fresh tasting.
Yes, this recipe is vegetarian. It uses flour, olive oil, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, with no meat. If you need it dairy-free, you can leave off the mozzarella or use a plant-based alternative, though the texture will change.
Olive oil is the cornerstone fat of the Mediterranean diet and is rich in monounsaturated fats and polyphenols like hydroxytyrosol. Its polyphenols are highest in a fresh bottle and gradually soften with time, light, and heat, which is why many cooks bake with it and then add a raw finishing drizzle to bring the most flavor to the plate.
It is happy next to a green salad, a bowl of soup, or grilled vegetables, and it makes a great picnic or dinner-party bread. You can also split squares horizontally and build them into caprese sandwiches.
Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat slices in a 350 F oven for a few minutes to revive the crisp crust. Refrigerating tends to dry out the crumb, so the counter is the better choice for short-term storage.

You Might Also Like

Creamy Spinach Risotto Recipe
Creamy Spinach Risotto Recipe
Best Italian Sausage Risotto Recipe
Best Italian Sausage Risotto Recipe
Creamy Pesto Risotto With Toasted Pine Nuts
Creamy Pesto Risotto With Toasted Pine Nuts

Cart

No more products available for purchase

Your Cart is Empty

High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil — 500+ mg/kg Polyphenols

$35.00

Out of stock