Focaccia ~ Focaccia with Cherry Tomatoes & Caramelized Onion
Focaccia is an Italian version of a flat-baked bread similar to that of a thick crust pizza base. It comes in different versions based on the topping it has.
Servings 5
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups All purpose flour Maida/Plain Flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar/honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup olive oil
For Topping:
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary or any other dried herb of your choice
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
For the dough:
- In a small bowl, mix together yeast, warm water, and sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes until the mixture turns frothy and bubbles appear on the surface. (The water should not be very hot.)
- In a large bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, yeast mixture, salt, and olive oil till you get a slack dough-like mixture. Use some dry flour and knead the dough for at least 5 to 7 minutes till is smooth. You can also use a cake beater with a dough hook attachment to knead the dough.
- Place the dough in a bowl that is smeared with oil and set aside till it doubles in size. This will take about 45 to 50 minutes or sometimes 1 hour.
- Take a flat baking dish (9 by 13 inches). Place butter paper on it or grease it with oil. Place the dough in the baking dish and flatten it evenly till it reaches and covers all the edges. Poke some dents all over the flattened dough with your fingers. Again set aside for 30 minutes till it puffs up slightly.
For topping:
- Heat oil in a pan and fry sliced onion till it is light golden in color. Do not fry too much as it might burn while baking.
- Top the flattened and puffed dough with caramelized onion, cherry tomatoes, dried herbs, chili flakes, Parmesan cheese, salt, and olive oil.
For baking:
- Preheat the oven to 200 deg C (450 degrees F).
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or till the crust turns golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Cut into pieces and serve warm with balsamic vinegar, salsa dip, or with a nice gravy.
Notes
1 cup = 250 ml