Thursday 16 October 2014

Onion Focaccia - light and delicious bread

I came across a new recipe as always I've tweaked it a little as some of the ingredients weren't to hand.  We have a little family get-together on Sunday and as we're each bringing along something for the food table, I wanted to try this out first before the big day.  It may seem like it takes a long time to make, but actually, if you plan ahead you can fit in lots of other jobs while the dough is proving and then enjoy it fresh from the oven for lunch time.

Onion Focaccia

500g (1 lb) strong white flour
1 tsp salt
7g sachet of fast action dried yeast
300ml (1/2 pint) lukewarm water
4 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for greasing)
15g (1/2 oz) butter of baking margarine
1 onion (recipe states red, but I used a normal one) thickly sliced
1 tbsp sherry  vinegar or red wine vinegar (I used sherry vinegar as, surprisingly I had some in the cupboard)
1 tsp clear honey
1 clove garlic, chopped
A few fresh leaves of sage and sprigs of thyme (recipe suggests 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves)
Also suggested was 1 tsp sea salt flakes, but I didn't use these.


Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.  Sprinkle the salt around the edge and empty the yeast into the centre.  Carefully add the water and 2 tbsp of olive oil into the centre and gentle mix together with a fork to form a firm, slightly sticky dough.  Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and use the heel of your hand to knead the dough by squashing and pushing it away from you, then pulling it back into a ball.  Repeat about 10 times.  Place the dough into a well oiled mixing bowl and cover with a clean oiled platic bag (or oiled cling film).  After 10 minutes transfer dough to a lightly oiled surface and repeat the kneading a further 10 times.  The dough should be nice and smooth now and ready to place back into the oiled bowl and recovered.  Leave to rise for about an hour in a fairly warm place - it should double in size.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and the butter in a frying pan and add the sliced onion, cooking gently over a low heat until softened.  Add the vinegar and honey (there will be fumes!!) and continue to cook for about 5 - 8 mins until sticky and golden.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Line a 30cm x 20cm (12 inch x 8 inch) baking tin with baking paper and brush with oil.  On a lightly oiled surface tip out the dough from the bowl and knock back then roll it out using an oiled rolling pin.  Press the dough into the tin and return the tin to the oiled bag to prove for 1-2 hours or until risen and fluffy (took an hour for me).

Heat oven to gas 7, 220 deg.C, fan 200 deg.C.  Make indents in the dough and press the garlic and herbs into them.  Recover as the oven heats up.  Drizzle over 1 tbsp oil mixed with 1 tbsp water and then bake for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and top with the onion and sea salt flakes (if using) - return to the oven for a further 8 minutes or until risen and golden.

1 comment:

littleRamstudio said...

My tummy just rumbled.
Heather :)