Mix the yeast with the sugar and warm water and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour so that the yeast activates.
Once the yeast is ready, add the olive oil and soda water.
Sift the flour, add the salt and yeast mixture. Mix well with an egg beater to make the dough.
Depending on the flour you will use, the dough/batter will become either a rather liquid batter or a soft dough that sticks to the hands. Oil your hands so you can peel it out of the bowl and shape it.
Line with a parchment paper a pan sized approx. 35Χ40cm / 13.8”X15.8” and spread the polenta and olive oil.
Pour the dough/batter into the pan. And as I mentioned above, depending on the flour you use, it will become either a liquid dough or a soft dough that sticks to the hands. If the dough is relatively runny, like a batter, then with the help of a spatula you will spread it all over the pan. It helps to grease with oil the spatula a little so that the dough does not stick. If it is quite firmly dough, you will spread it with your hands. Oily a little bit your hands for help at opening the dough and also not to stick to your hands.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour. I preheated the oven to 50°C/120°F and I turned it off when I put the dough to rise.
In a small bowl, mix a tablespoon of olive oil with half a teaspoon of paprika and set aside.
Once the dough has raised up, optionally with a knife that you have oiled, you carve/cut it into small squares.
You use a heart-shaped cookie cutter and after dipping it in the olive oil with paprika, you press it into each square that you cut it. Set aside whatever of the mixture oil with paprika is left.
If you like cherry tomatoes, like me and want to use them, we use the variety that is like acorn because they are long and narrow and you can easily make hearts out of them. Cut them diagonally in half and turn half of it and thus make hearts and place them in the squares.
Optionally, sprinkle a pinch of salt or whatever salt you want on top and fresh or dried oregano. I also added freshly ground pink pepper which gives a strong aroma without the burn.
Drizzle with a little more olive oil to give it a nicer golden-brown color while baking.
Bake in a preheated oven at 250°C / 480°F for about 20 minutes.
Optionally, after baking, brush the hearts with the olive oil and paprika mixture so that they have a slightly more reddish color. As you will see in the video, I made all 3 designs together because I like cherry tomatoes. And of the hearts that I made with the cookie cutter, I only brush the half of them with paprika on top for my husband who likes smoked parika, while I left some of them as they are because my son likes it that way more.
