Topped with parmesan cheese and onions, this Caramelized Onion Focaccia has an easy step-by-step method and is perfect for both summer barbecues and winter holidays.
If no-knead bread is what you’re looking for, my famous no-knead pumpkin brioche is a must try! I also have an overnight sourdough brioche for those who bake with wild yeast.
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🥖Why bake this focaccia
- This is a no-knead flatbread recipe great for beginner bakers - just as easy as my polenta biscuits!
- Onion Focaccia is a great bread for barbecues and holidays;
- It has the delicious umami flavor of parmesan - like these Brazilian cheese bread bites;
- This recipe can be made ahead - like these no-knead focaccia rolls!
📃Ingredients and substitutions
Parmesan. I love using parmesan for this focaccia, but you can choose other cheese if preferred. I have tried with mozzarella, brie and cheddar, and they all worked great and produced delicious results.
Flour. I use all-purpose only flour for this recipe.
Onions. Red, yellow and sweet onions all work for this recipe.
This caramelized onion topping is a simplified version of my famous red onion chutney, but made with fewer ingredients. I've already paired this focaccia with it, and trust me, it's absolutely drool-worthy.
🥣How to make it
Step 01. Start by mixing together water, sugar and salt, flour and yeast, until dough is formed. I use my hands for it, but you can use a spoon.
Step 02. When there are no more dry visible spots and dough is formed, let it rest for 30 minutes, covered. Dough will look shaggy, and feel sticky.
Step 03. Pour around the edges 1 tablespoon of olive oil. That will help you with the stretches and folds.
Step 04. Start to stretch and fold the dough. Pull up on one side of the dough, fold it back down on itself. Repeat it 4 to 6 times through all the sides of the dough. Let the dough rest covered for 20 minutes.
You’ll repeat the stretch and fold 3 times more, giving it 20 minutes between each.
Step 05. While the dough rests, we’re caramelizing the onions. In a heavy-bottom pan, over medium heat, cook onions with butter, salt and pepper until half the size (around 10 minutes).
Step 06. Add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, and simmer for 20 minutes. Reserve. It should be lukewarm to room temperature by the time the dough is ready.
Step 07. After the last stretch and fold, let the dough rest for another 20 minutes. Line a rectangular 9x13 inches baking sheet, and open the focaccia over it, using your hands. Cover the dough and let it rise while the oven preheats (425 degrees Fahrenheit).
Step 08. Distribute parmesan and caramelized onions evenly through the dough, topping it with the remaining olive oil.
Step 09. Using your fingertips, poke dimples all over the dough. Bake focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bread is golden brown at the top and bottom.
✔️Expert tips
Do not add more flour than what’s asked, or you’ll risk getting a dense focaccia. Resist the temptation!
If the topping is getting too brown before baking is complete (that can happen because of the parmesan and onions), you can cover it with foil until the focaccia finishes baking. Or you can start baking it with foil, and removing foil after 10 minutes.
I like to poke the focaccia after adding the toppings, so they’ll stick more to the bread after baking.
🙋🏻♀️Question you might have
When making focaccia, it is important to not add more flour than necessary to the dough. It is a sticky, high hydration dough, but adding more flour will make a denser bread.
Yes, you can! Make it the day before, and reheat in a preheated oven over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes before serving the next day. You can also make the dough ahead, let it rest overnight in the fridge, covered, and bake the next day.
You can use active yeast for this recipe. If so, use part of the water asked in the recipe card to proof it, so you don’t add more water then you should to the dough.
You can make this focaccia using a round pan. If doing so, it’s better to use a large one.
🍞More no-knead bread
If you tried this Caramelized Onion Focaccia Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Caramelized Onion Focaccia
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 420 g all-purpose flour
- 340 ml water room temperature
- 7 g instant dry yeast
- 5 g sugar
- 5 g salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings
- 60 g parmesan grated
- 1 red onion sliced into half-moons
- 40 g butter unsalted
- 5 g salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 25 g brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Start by mixing together water, sugar, salt, flour and yeast, until dough is formed. I use my hands to do so, but you can use a spoon. This is a high hydration dough: it will feel sticky in the beginning.
- When there are no more dry visible spots and dough is formed, let it rest for 30 minutes, covered with a damp tower or plastic wrap.
- After 30 minutes, uncover dough and pour around the edges 1 tablespoon of olive oil. That will help with the stretches and folds.
- Start to stretch and fold the dough. Pull up on one side of the dough, fold it back down on itself. Repeat it 4 to 6 times through all the sides of the dough. Let the dough rest covered for another 20 minutes.
- Repeat the stretch and fold 3 times more, giving it 20 minutes between each.
- While the dough rests between stretches and folds, start caramelizing the onions. In a heavy-bottom pan, over medium heat, cook onions with butter, salt and pepper until it shrinks to half its size, around 10 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, and simmer for 20 minutes more. Reserve. It should be lukewarm to room temperature by the time the dough is ready.
- After the last stretch and fold, let the dough rest for another 20 minutes before opening it.
- Line a rectangular 9x13 inches baking sheet, and open the focaccia over it, using your hands. Cover the dough and let it rise while the oven preheats to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Distribute parmesan and caramelized onions evenly through the dough, topping it with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Using your fingertips, poke dimples all over the dough.
- Bake focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bread is golden brown at the top and bottom.
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