Tomato Sandwich “Cake” with Focaccia, Tomato Jam, and Scallion Cream Cheese

Ingredients

• 512 g all-purpose or bread flour
• 125 g sourdough discard (100% hydration)
• 12.5 g kosher salt (Source gives a range of 10–15 g (2–3 tsp).)
• 8 g instant yeast
• 455 g water (Lukewarm; source specifies 1/2 cup boiling water plus 1 1/2 cups cold water.)
• 4 tbsp olive oil (For greasing, drizzling, and coating the dough; approximately 1–2 tbsp may be used for greasing and drizzling, with the remainder as needed.)
• 280 g cherry tomatoes
• 12 g granulated sugar (For the tomato jam.)
• 7.5 g lemon juice (Source gives a range of 5–10 g (1–2 tsp). For the tomato jam.)
• 1.5 g black pepper (Source gives a range of 1–2 g (1/4–1/2 tsp); for the tomato jam.)
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes (Sliced; source does not specify an exact weight.)
• salt (To season the fresh tomato layer; amount not specified.)
• black pepper (To season the fresh tomato layer; amount not specified.)
• 452 g cream cheese (Softened.)
• 1 lemon zest (Zest of 1 lemon, to taste.)
• 28 g olive oil (For the whipped cream cheese frosting.)
• 120 g Greek yogurt (For the whipped cream cheese frosting.)
• 25 g scallions (Finely sliced; for the filling.)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the focaccia dough. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sourdough discard, kosher salt, and instant yeast.

2. 2

   Pour in the lukewarm water and stir until a shaggy dough forms.

3. 3

   Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes by hand or about 6 minutes in a stand mixer. The dough will be very sticky.

4. 4

   Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover and let it rise at room temperature for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in volume. For a more developed sourdough flavor, it may instead be proofed in the refrigerator overnight.

5. 5

   Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with olive oil.

6. 6

   Divide the risen dough evenly between the prepared pans and gently stretch it to fit each pan.

7. 7

   Cover the pans and let the dough rise for another 30–40 minutes, until puffy.

8. 8

   Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

9. 9

   Dip your fingertips in oil and gently dimple the surface of each dough round. Drizzle the dough with olive oil.

10. 10

    Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the focaccia is golden brown. Let both rounds cool completely before assembling the sandwich cake.

11. 11

    Prepare the tomato jam using the cherry tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice, and black pepper. The source's detailed tomato-jam method is not visible in the provided excerpt because it continues behind the publication paywall.

12. 12

    Prepare the fresh tomato layer by slicing the heirloom tomatoes and seasoning them with salt and black pepper.

13. 13

    Prepare the scallion cream cheese frosting from the softened cream cheese, lemon zest, olive oil, Greek yogurt, and finely sliced scallions. The detailed mixing method is not visible in the provided excerpt.

14. 14

    Assemble the tomato sandwich cake using the cooled focaccia rounds, scallion cream cheese frosting, tomato jam, and seasoned fresh tomato slices. The source's detailed assembly order is not visible in the provided excerpt.

Notes

The provided Substack excerpt is truncated at the tomato-jam heading by a paywall. It does not include the tomato-jam cooking instructions, frosting mixing instructions, or final assembly details. Focaccia dough can be refrigerated overnight for more developed sourdough flavor.

Nutrition per serving

• savory cake
• sandwich
• vegetarian
• summer
• baked
• focaccia
• tomato
• layered