Suddenly I found my salt focaccia was not quite hitting the spot and so I came up with a new recipe for Mozzarella And Tomato Focaccia. This flat bread is best cooked on a pizza stone and it is important to make sure you oil the dough before baking to keep the moisture in. Here I have used buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes to take me back to our visit to the South of Italy.
Head straight on to the recipe for Mozzarella And Tomato Focaccia ♥
It is not often that you can get me back to a restaurant after a bad experience. Dave and I first went to The Millhouse Kitchen for my birthday in 2012 and we had really bad service. The decent meal did not leave a good enough impression for us to want to go back, but we went with friends who wanted to go there. Kaz told me she always had good service when she went, and hoping that this issue had been resolved off we went for dinner in 2014. The service was shocking and my main course really not great and most notably, I was not given a finger bowl with either my starter or main course, both of which needed one. Last year someone who trains at the same gym that I go to was raving about the restaurant and recommended that we go there. I told her about our two experiences and she promised me that we would be guaranteed better service as her son was the manager. So, we made a booking to go with the children and I told her when the booking was for. Well, the service though slightly improved was still not good, and as the food was not excellent the place was now off my list. At the end of January, Kaz suggested we go there for dinner. Dave said OK and I was just looking for a meal out and good company. And, good company is what we got, together with poor service! Even worse, the manager on duty was not at all interested in dealing with our numerous complaints. The staff were not advised about menu specifications before dinner service started as the very same manager was too busy outside doing something else. And to make it sound like we were in a recurring nightmare, finger bowls were provided only upon asking for them and came in water tumblers! To add insult to injury, the waiter charged us for half the bill and our friends for the entire bill, making sure he got a tip we did not actually leave him. The chef has told us that he has fired the manager and we have been invited back for a meal on the house. As Kaz always gets decent service at lunch time, we will book for an afternoon meal. Would you go back to a restaurant after receiving poor service?
Recipe For Mozzarella And Tomato Focaccia
Ingredients
- 150 g sourdough starter
- 500 g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 225 mls water
- 12 g salt, plus extra for sprinkling
- olive oil for drizzling
- 10 baby tomatoes, cut in half
- 150 g mozzarella
Method
- Place the starter, flour and water into a stand mixer bowl
- Using a dough hook, mix together on a low speed for 3 minutes
- Increase the speed to medium for a further 6 minutes
- Add the salt and mix for a further 2 minutes
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball
- Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough to the bowl and cover
- Leave to prove for 3 hours, turning the dough over once every 45 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 220° Celsius
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and cover with a damp cloth
- Leave for 15 minutes
- Stretch the dough to fit a round pizza pan
- Place onto the lined or sprayed pizza pan, stretching the dough to fit properly
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil
- Use your finger tips and dimple the dough
- Place the tomato halves into the dimples, face side up
- Tear and scatter the mozzarella over the top
- Sprinkle salt over the top
- Leave to settle for 10 minutes
- Bake for 25 minutes
- Cool in the tray and serve warm
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
What I blogged March 3:
- two years ago – In My Kitchen
- three years ago – Eat Out Survey
- four years ago – Friday’s Food Quiz
- five years ago – Flambé Strawberries
Wow, How could it be so bad every time you went there yet others really raved about it?
I might have gone back ….with Friends a second time but no more than that.
I am with you there Sarah 🙂
Hi Tandy,
No definitely not, I think you have gone far too many times to give them a chance as it is!!!
that is my feeling as well 🙂
The bread sounds delicious but no, I wouldn’t go back to that restaurant again. If I had bad service once but the food was good I’d give it another chance but it sounds like you’ve given it lots of chances!
And we are going back to use the voucher!
I definitely wouldn’t go back again!
This is the kind of bread we like to eat out in the garden on a summer evening.
And we are having so many great summer evenings here 🙂
No, definitely not.
🙂
Hi Tandy, no I would not, usually my husband and I never complain if service is bad, we just leave and never ever go back.
Love your mozzarella and tomato focaccia!
That would be our usual ‘solution’ 🙂
That’s such terrible service, I wonder how they stay in business! Service can be so easy to get right too.
I could spend an hour training their staff and it would be a vast improvement 🙂
No. Maybe the 2nd time because you were going with friends but never again. I hope you send them a copy of this article.
They have been sent a long email which they replied to 🙂
Focaccia is the bread which is on my top list.. But still didn’t get success. Wish me a luck for this time
Sending luck your way Priya 🙂
Love anything with mozzarella and tomato combination. And this focaccia looks super awesome, Tandy!
Thanks Anu 🙂
This is my kinda bread!!! Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure Rosemarie 🙂
This is so timely Tandy, there was a huge feature story this week in my hometown paper about how focaccia-eque pizza’s are taking over the U.S. by storm. Yours look most excellent. And to answer you question……I’m with you…it’s really tough for me to give a restaurant a 2nd chance. I remember being 9 months pregnant and going to this Italian restaurant where the waitress was actually angry that I did not order alcohol! I was so upset. She kept pushing and pushing and I’m thinking, go away, I’m pregnant. You’re just worried about your tip!
Far out and I think I would have sworn at her. What happens if you don’t drink!
I love homemade focaccia. It looks and sounds terrific.
Thank you Pam 🙂
I tend to give restaurants a second chance. Everyone has a bad day now and then. I hope you have a great experience next time!
They seem to only have bad days 😉
Your focaccia looks so divine, Tandy. I hate bad service and never go back to restaurant where I’ve had a bad experience. Life is too short. 🙂
I agree with you totally Sylvia 🙂
I am not a fan of tomatoes but this does look good.
Thank you Holly. My step son does not eat tomatoes either 🙂
Nope, wouldn’t have gone back after the first bad experience. Far out… I cannot believe just how bad a deal you had, and every time too. 🙁
I know!
Oh wow, looks delicious! Another recipe to the list. So many recipes to make, not enough meals in the day!
That is how I feel most days 🙂
This is one of these questions that there really is no right answer but what feels right for you. I am certainly feeling like that focaccia bread is calling my name with a little side of extra virgin oil to dip it in…
I think you should heed the call Bobbi 🙂
I would avoid it after all of those experiences but I would sure let them know.
I would avoid it in the future but I would definitely complain.
Oh, I complained very loudly!