French Onion Focaccia

Name: French Onion Focaccia
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 12

2.5 HRPrep Time

50 MINCook Time

12 squaresServings

(1)

by Giadzy

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Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

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Giving humble focaccia the French Onion treatment turns it into a gourmet dish that will have everyone clamoring for slice number 2. This deliciously fluffy flatbread is topped with caramelized onions, thyme and gooey provolone cheese for the most perfect bite. No dough mixer needed for this easy recipe; it simply requires patience to let the dough rise and to slowly cook the perfect caramelized onions.

French Onion Focaccia

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

Prep Time

2 hours 5 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Ingredients

For The Focaccia:

2 teaspoons honey

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1 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
500 g (about 3 1/3 cups) pizza flour, such as Petra
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for the bowl

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For The Topping And Assembly:

3 tablespoons olive oil, for the onions
3 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for topping
2 tablespoons olive oil, for the focaccia dough
4 ounces Provolone picante, grated

Instructions

For the dough, dissolve the honey and active dry yeast in the water and allow to sit until creamy and lightly foamy, about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the water and yeast mixture along with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix with a rubber spatula until it comes together into a rough dough. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for about 3 minutes. The dough will be very sticky and soft. Use a bench scraper if you have it, and keep your hands floured to avoid adding too much extra flour to the dough. Form the dough into a loose ball.
Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl, making sure the dough is coated in the oil by rolling it around. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about an hour and a half.
While the dough rests, prepare the onions. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat for an additional 30 seconds. Add the onions, salt and thyme leaves to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onions are completely caramelized, about 30 minutes. Every ten or so minutes, add two tablespoons of water to the pan and stir to bring up the browned bits from the pan. Once golden brown and caramelized, set the onions aside.
Oil a 12x9 inch rimmed baking sheet with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the risen dough in the pan. Spread the dough to cover the bottom of the pan, using your fingers to create dimples as you spread the dough. If the top of the focaccia dough doesn't have a slick sheen of olive oil, drizzle a touch more on top, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until it fills the pan, another 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.
Top the dough evenly with the caramelized onions. Evenly sprinkle the grated provolone cheese over the onions, and top with extra fresh thyme leaves. Gently press the toppings into the dough with your fingertips once over.
Bake the focaccia for roughly 20 minutes, rotating it once at the halfway mark. Remove from the oven to a wire rack. Cool the focaccia in the pan for 10 minutes. Using a thin spatula, remove the bread from the pan to cool completely on the wire rack. Cut into squares and serve.