Caramelized onion focaccia
This caramelized onion focaccia is super easy to make, no kneading, and it makes the perfect aperitivo or bread to serve all year long. The focaccia is super soft, fluffy and topped with a generous layer of sweet slow-cooked onions.
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- 1 Digital scale
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Mixing spoon
- 1 digital thermometer
- 1 Vegetable Knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Mandoline
- 1 Medium non-stick frying pan
- 1 baking tray 30x23 cm
Ingredients
Focaccia base
- 550 gr Bread flour 13% protein 19.4 oz
- 440 gr Water 15.52 oz
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 5 gr Dry active yeast 0.17 oz
- 10 gr Fine salt 0.35 oz
- 12 gr Extra virgin olive oil 0.42 oz
- 6 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil to coat the baking tray
Caramelized onion
- 550 gr Brown onion 19.4 oz
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- Fine salt to taste
- 2 leaves Fresh sage leaves
- 3 tablespoon Muscovado sugar
- 2 teaspoon White vinegar
- 110 ml Water
To finish the focaccia
- 4 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Coarse salt or Maldon salt
- Fresh grounded black peppers to taste
- 4 Sage leaves
Instructions
Focaccia base
- Warm up the water until it reaches the temperature of 30°C (86°F).
- Add the water to a large mixing bowl, then add the honey and yeast. Use a spoon to dissolve the ingredients. Once fully dissolved, set the mixture aside.Add the flour to the bowl and mix roughly with a spoon until the water is fully absorbed. Add the salt and olive oil, then mix until combined for few seconds.
- Cover the dough with cling film and let it rest for one hour in a warm spot, ideally between 23°C and 26°C (73.4°F to 79°F). An oven with the light on should work well (read the tips on how to do this).
- After the first hour, the dough should be swollen. Now it's time to stretch it to incorporate air. Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking. Gently pull one side of the dough upward without tearing it, and fold it over the opposite side. Turn the bowl a quarter and repeat the stretch-and-fold process for all five sides of the dough. Tuck the final side of the dough over the opposite side to seal it.
- Cover the dough again and let it rise for 30 minutes at 23°C to 26°C (73.4°F to 79°F). After the rising time, repeat the stretch-and-fold technique.
- Transfer the dough to a larger container, as it will almost triple in volume. Cover it with cling film and let it rise for 12 hours in the fridge.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. The dough should the almost triple in volume. Set it aside. Wet your hands with water and very gently repeat the stretch and fold technique. Add 6 tablespoon of olive oil into the baking tray. The dough should be still swollen at this point. Gently grab the dough and place it in the baking tray. Cover with a clingfilm and let rise for 2 hours between 23°C to 26°C (73.4°F to 79°F).
Caramelized onion
- Remove the skin from the onions and discard it. Slice the onion thinly using a the third blade of a mandoline. Add the olive oil, fresh sage and the sliced onions to a large frying pan. Place over low-medium heat and stir to coat.
- After 15 minute, the onions are starting to soften, reduce in volume, and becoming translucent. Then add the Muscovado sugar and stir.
- After 5 minutes the caramelized onions will begin to develop colour. The sugars will start to dissolve and the onions will turn golden brown. At this stage, add the white vinegar and mix well.
- Once the vinegar smell has disappeared, after about 5 minutes, pour in the water. Stir and keep cooking for 10 minutes, until all the liquid is evaporated. The caramelized onions are ready when they're soft, deep golden, jammy, and they'll clump together.
- After 2 hours, the dough should have spread to cover most of the baking tray. Using your hands, gently stretch the edges of the dough to evenly cover the entire tray.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F), gas mark 7, using the conventional/fan setting. Once the oven reaches the desired temperature, it's time to create dimples in the focaccia.
- Spread the caramelized onions all over the focaccia, with a spoon. Wet your hands with water, and using your fingers, gently press down and shake the dough to create dimples, working from the bottom to the top. As you do this, you'll notice bubbles forming-be careful not to pop them. Drizzle with plenty olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Once ready, remove from the baking tray and let it cool on a grill rack before serving. Before serving add few sage leaves.
Notes
*Measure with kitchen scale: For the best results always measure the ingredients with a kitchen scale. This is my best cooking tips. If using measurement cups, never scoop the flour directly with the cup. Instead, use a spoon-level-method: fluff the flour, spoon it into the cup, then level it off.
FAQ
If focaccia and pizza the same thing? Not exactly. While the focaccia and pizza share the same ingredients, hydration and the baking method, the main difference lies in the rising process. Pizza is typically stretched and baked directly after the rise. Focaccia, on the other hand, rises again in the baking tray before baking. This extra step create a different structure and gives the signature dimples to the focaccia. Is focaccia dough supposed to be sticky? Yes, it's naturally sticky due its high hydration. This helps create the light, airy, and bubbly texture typical of the focaccia. To prevent it from sticking to your hand, wet them with some water before performing the stretch technique. How do you store the onion focaccia leftover? The best way to store caramelized onion focaccia is at room temperature. Wrap the focaccia in aluminum foil and then place it in a plastic bag. This will keep it fresh for about 2 days. How do I reheat my caramelised onion focaccia? For the best experience, reheat the focaccia before serving. Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F) for a conventional oven, and warm up the focaccia on a baking tray for about five minutes until it's soft with a crispy crust.active dry yeast, bread flour, Caramelized onion focaccia, easy focaccia, focaccia recipe, homemade focaccia bread, italian focaccia, no knead focaccia, olive oil, onion, soft and airy, sweet
