Tomato and Olive Focaccia

After spending most of the summer in Indonesia, I have had  a longing for some good bread.  While Indonesia has great food, its bakeries are weak.  Indonesians tend to favor over-processed, Wonderbread-like fluffy baked goods.  Despite this, or perhaps because of it, toast (roti bakar) is a popular street snack, something I never could understand.

Focaccia is a good antidote to the tasteless loaves of Indonesia.  This particular recipe, from Saveur, produces a crisp bottom crust and a good crumb.  The combination of olives and tomatoes on the top is a wonderful use of local produce that captures the essence of a summer day in the central valley.  A slice of this along with a salad and you've got yourself a satisfying meal.

The recipe is from issue #120 of Saveur which I happened to pick up to read about Andrea Nguyen's account of her return to Saigon.  Saveur also has the recipe on its site. Click on Focaccia with Tomatoes and Olives to get the recipe.