Focaccia con le Cipolle

Name: Focaccia con le Cipolle
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ligure
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 310 ml lukewarm water; 12 g Fresh yeast; 5 g barley malt extract; 10 g Fine sea salt; 75 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 350 g white or yellow onions; 5 g coarse sea salt

A classic Genoese flatbread dimpled, bathed in olive oil and brine, and baked under a generous layer of thinly sliced sweet onions.

🇮🇹Italy· Liguria

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 410 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

500 g strong white bread flour — type 0 or high-protein wheat flour
310 ml lukewarm water — around 28 degrees C
12 g Fresh yeast — or 4 g active dried yeast
5 g barley malt extract — or honey or white sugar
10 g Fine sea salt — for dough seasoning
75 ml Extra virgin olive oil — Ligurian olive oil preferred, divided use
350 g white or yellow onions — peeled and sliced paper-thin
5 g coarse sea salt — for scattering on top

Equipment

•Rectangular baking tray (30x40 cm)
•Large mixing bowl
•Mandoline slicer
•Pastry brush

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 410 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 58 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 9 g
calories: 410 kcal

Instructions

1
Dissolve the yeast and malt extract in lukewarm water in a large bowl.
2
Add the flour and stir until a ragged dough forms.
3
Work in the fine sea salt and 25 ml of olive oil until absorbed.
4
Knead the dough on an un-floured worktop for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
5
Pour 25 ml of olive oil into your baking tray and place the dough inside.
6
Turn the dough to coat in oil, then gently flatten it towards the corners.
7
Let the dough rest in the tin for thirty minutes to relax the gluten.
8
Stretch the relaxed dough fully to the tray corners with your palms.
9
Leave to prove in a warm place for sixty minutes until light and puffy.
10
Toss the thinly sliced onions with 10 ml of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
11
Press deep dimples into the risen dough using the pads of all your fingers.
12
Whisk 30 ml of water with 15 ml of oil and pour this brine across the dough.
13
Scatter the seasoned onions evenly over the top and sprinkle with coarse salt.
14
Bake at 230 degrees C for twenty to twenty-five minutes until golden and crisp.

Chef's tips

Slice the onions paper-thin with a mandoline so they soften and lightly caramelise without scorching. The water-and-oil brine poured into the dimples is crucial to keep the crumb tender and moist beneath the onions.

Ingredient substitutions

barley malt extract → mild runny honey or granulated white sugar
fresh yeast → 4 g fast-action dried yeast

Storage

Store leftover focaccia wrapped in baking parchment at room temperature for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat on a hot baking tray in a 200 degrees C oven for five minutes to restore crisp edges.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Slicing the onions too thickly, which causes them to remain raw and watery instead of sweet.
•Skipping the water-and-oil emulsion, resulting in a dry bread rather than a soft, authentic crumb.