Red Onion Focaccia
Focaccia is the most forgiving yeast bread there is: no kneading, just a few rounds of folding with wet hands. A generous pool of olive oil in the tray fries the base crisp, and the dimples on top catch oil and salt. The red onion turns sweet in the oven, with caramelised, slightly charred edges.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- 3 h 25 min
- Total
- 4 h 15 min
- Servings
- 10
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 280 kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
For the topping
Makes: 1 tray 25 × 35 cm, 10 pieces
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Method
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Step 1: Mix the dough
Stir the yeast into the warm water, add the flour and mix with a spatula to a sticky dough with no dry patches; rest for 15 minutes. Add the salt and 30 ml oil and squeeze them in with your fingers for 2–3 minutes until the oil is absorbed.
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Step 2: Stretch and fold
Every 30 minutes for 2 hours, do a set of folds with wet hands: lift an edge, stretch it up and fold it over the centre, turning the bowl, 4–6 times. Keep the bowl covered in between; by the end the dough should have doubled and be smooth and bubbly.
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Step 3: Into the tray
Pour the 40 ml oil into a 25 × 35 cm tray and tip in the dough. Turn it over so both sides are oiled, then gently stretch it towards the corners; if it springs back, give it 15 minutes and try again.
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Step 4: Final proof
Cover and leave for 45–60 minutes until the dough fills the tray, looks puffy and has bubbles on top. Meanwhile heat the oven to 230 °C, slice the onions into thin rings and toss them with 1 tbsp of the topping oil.
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Step 5: Dimple and top
Oil your fingertips and press them deep into the dough, right to the bottom, all over. Drizzle with the rest of the oil so it pools in the dimples, scatter over the onion and rosemary leaves and sprinkle with the flaky salt.
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Step 6: Bake
Bake on the middle shelf for 22–25 minutes until golden brown on top with lightly charred onion edges. Lift a corner with a spatula: the base should be browned and crisp.
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Step 7: Cool
Slide the focaccia straight out of the tray onto a rack so the base stays crisp, and cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Don’t skimp on the oil in the tray — it’s what fries the base golden and crisp rather than pale and bready.
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Variation
For deeper flavour, refrigerate the dough for 12–18 hours after the folds, then give it 2 hours in the tray to come to room temperature.
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Variation
Add a handful of halved olives or cherry tomatoes to the onions — they roast beautifully in the dimples.
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Storage
Wrap in baking paper and keep for up to 2 days. Warm pieces in a 200 °C oven for 5 minutes to re-crisp the crust.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 10 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 280 kcal | 2,800 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 60 g |
| Fat | 11 g | 110 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g | 390 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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