Stuffed Focaccia with Caramelized Onions, Tomatoes, and Garlic
Photography by Benner!
I made this in St. Louis, MO. It essentially tastes like deliciously stuffed bread. The caramelized onions are what really make this recipe stand out. Therefore, although the second way has not been tested yet, I’m providing two ways to go about this recipe. The first way has two layers of focaccia surrounding a layer of onions and tomatoes. The second way has three thinner layers of focaccia and two layers of onions and tomatoes. The second way is a little bit more of an ode to caramelized onions. Once again, I used Savory Baking from the Mediterranean: Focaccias, Flatbreads, Rusks, Tarts, and Other Breads by Anissa Helou as a guide for the ingredients. However, her proportions differ from mine a lot. The original recipe also does not include the stuffing component.
Ingredients:
• 4 ½ teaspoons (2 packages) of active dry yeast
• ½ cup warm water with a ¼ teaspoon of sugar or honey mixed in
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 ¼ teaspoons of sea salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
For Stuffing (Double this if doing the second variation)
• ¾ cup chopped tomato. It’s about 1 large tomato, similar to the size of an heirloom but don’t pay the price of an heirloom just to bake it
• 2 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion
• ½ small white/yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons and 1 ½ teaspoons of brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons of granulated white sugar
• ¼-1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 dabble (about 3/4 tsp) of molasses
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1. Stir the yeast and ½ of warm water in a cup and let sit until it starts to foam a bit
2. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Then make a well and pour in the yeast mixture. Slowly bring in the wall of flour/salt into the wet yeast until well combined. If it is too dry, add more warm water. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour. Knead for 16 minutes.
3. Knead the dough into a ball, and then turn the bowl over on top of the dough (like a person in an ingloo) and let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. Knead the dough for 3 minutes. Pour some olive oil into the bowl (about 1 tablespoon) Use the ball of dough to spread the olive oil around the sides of the bowl. With its nice layer of olive oil, put the ball of dough in the bowel, cover it with a kitchen towel, put it in a warm place. Let it rise for one hour or until doubled. This may vary depending on the temperature. In St. Louis, it took thirty minutes to triple in size. In San Francisco, it took two hours.
5. Brush a cooking sheet with olive oil. Remove the dough from the bowl and being to stretch the dough by hand across the cookie sheet. The dough should be no more than ¾ of an inch thick. It should really be more around ¼-1/2 inch. The dough’s thickness should be nowhere near that point where the dough is so thin that it starts to break. You want it to be much thicker than that. Aka. Pizza dough thickness is too thin. If you want the single stuff layer focaccia, option one, the dough can be thicker than the double stuffed type, option two. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise for another 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 450°F
7. Chop the onions into about ½ inch slivers.
8. On the stove, in a small sauté pan, heat up 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of olive oil. When heated, add the onions. Toss and let simmer until wilted.
9. Add the sugars and salt, stir, and let cook. Stir occasionally.
10. Add the vinegar. Stir occasionally. (7 minute mark ish)
11. Add the dollop of molasses and continue to stir until the onions begin to caramelize.
12. Add a pinch of red pepper, stir in thoroughly, and remove from flame.
13. Finely chop garlic
14. Dice the tomatoes
Option one. Single stuffed layer:
1. Fold the dough in half.
2. Lift one wing of the dough and pour in the caramelized onions. Spread the caramelized onions, including the liquid, on the bottom layer of focaccia. Sprinkle the tomatoes around it.
3. Begin pressing the two layers of focaccia together. It will sort of resemble a half moon or calzone.
4. Let rise under a damp kitchen towel for 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Using your finger, make indentations of the top layer of focaccia. Sprinkle the garlic on the top layer as well as some good salt. Trickle olive oil around the focaccia.
6. Put in the oven for 12-17 minutes. The bread should be golden. Let cool and eat up!
Option Two. Double stuffed:
1. Divide the dough into thirds.
2. On the bottom layer of dough pour half of the caramelized onions. Spread the caramelized onions, including the liquid, on the bottom layer of focaccia. Sprinkle half of the tomatoes around it.
3. Begin pressing the two layers of focaccia together. It will sort of resemble a half moon or calzone.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the second layer of stuffed focaccia.
5. Let rise under a damp kitchen towel for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Using your finger, make indentations of the top layer of focaccia. Sprinkle the garlic on the top layer as well as some good salt. Trickle olive oil around the focaccia.
7. Put in the oven for 12-17 minutes. The bread should be golden. Let cool and eat up!
