Caramelized Onion and Parmesan Focaccia Bread
Recipe adapted from Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Alsterberg and Wanda Urbanowicz (2001)
Makes one 10″ x 16″ loaf or two 15″ pizza crusts
- 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) warm water
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) baking yeast
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) honey
- 2 tsp (10 ml) salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 4 cups (960 ml) unbleached flour
Topping
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Crushed Red Chili Flakes
- 2 tsp Coarse Salt
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- Balsamic Caramelized Onions
- Olive oil
- Black pepper
In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and honey. Let it stand for approximately ten minutes or until the mixture had foamed. With a wooden spoon stir in olive oil, salt and one cup of flour. Continue to sir in flour one cup at a time, until you can no longer stir the dough. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and proceed to knead until the dough has a smooth elastic appearance.
Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp tea towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in volume, about an hour and a half. Punch the dough down and let it rise until it doubles in size.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, placing the rack in the middle of the oven. Take a well oiled 12″ x 16″ baking sheet and stretch the dough out to roughly fit the dimensions of the pan. Remember the loaf is a rustic style, do not worry if the sides are not even in length. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil making sure to cover the surface. Add the minced garlic, coarse salt, chili flakes, black pepper, caramelized onions and cheese. Press into the dough with the tips of your fingers to create a dimpled surface. Let the dough rise for another 15 minutes.
Bake the dough for twenty minutes, making sure to rotate the pan after ten minutes to ensure the bread bakes evenly. Serve warm.
You can have fun with this recipe and change-up the toppings. Try adding sun-dried tomatoes, pitted black olives, and finely chopped fresh herbs like rosemary or sage. If you’re making this for pizza, split the dough in two after punching it down after the first rise. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and let it rest for ten minutes. Lightly oil a pizza pan and dust it with cornmeal, I use the bottom side of a large commercial baking sheet so I can easily slide the pizza off onto a cooling rack after its been baked, and stretch the dough out to fit the pan. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let rise for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, brush the perimeter of the pizza dough with olive oil to ensure a golden crust, add sauce and toppings (Don’t over load the pizza, less is more in pizza making, purchase high quality toppings and spread them evenly over the surface). Place the pizza in the bottom rack of the oven and reduce the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted. Serve the pizza with fresh herbs sprinkled over the top.
Enjoy this recipe! It’s by far the best I have come across and tried.
What are your favourite toppings on focaccia or pizza? Please comment below.
