This focaccia recipe, topped with caramelized onions and tomatoes, is inspired by a trip to Italy and a meeting with a kind-hearted Italian grandmother.
I learned many years ago not to question Italian grandmothers when it comes to matters of the kitchen, particularly when these matters involve a classic focaccia recipe and gnocchi. When I was in my early twenties, making an epic backpacking trip around Europe (well, it was epic to me anyways), my friend and I stayed at a charming pensione, named Chicco di Grano, in the heart of Tuscany.
While the family-run inn was not the luxurious Italian villa that regularly stars in my daydreams, it was many steps above the bunk-sleeping, shower-sharing youth hostels of our travels to that point. Nestled at the top of a long driveway lined by prolific olive trees and host to an expansive view of the surrounding vineyards and groves, Chicco di Grano was the destination of many Italian travelers. Perhaps our very limited handle of the Italian language (counting from one to ten doesn't count) was why we got off on the wrong foot with the proprietor's elderly mother.
Dinners at Chicco di Grano were enjoyed at the long wooden table set on the stone patio. If you were the newcomers, as we were the first night, you were seated at the end of the table furthest away from the hosts, Paolo and Jean - and Paolo's mother (we'll call her Nonna). As guests departed on subsequent nights, the newcomers became old-timers and moved up the table. It was that first night that we were under the intense scrutiny of Nonna. Each time I looked up the table, she was studying us, never sparing a smile for either my friend or me. What had we done to offend her? Had we broken some cardinal rule of Italian dining?
With some trepidation, we arrived at the breakfast table the next morning. When Nonna came into the room, she shuffled over to us, wished us a hearty "Buongiorno", pulled each of us down to her, and planted kisses on our cheeks. Besides being effusive in our compliments of the dinner and throwing a wild party in our room, we had no idea how we made our way into her good graces overnight. It was not to be questioned.
As the days went by, we spent many hours around that table on the patio, diving into the wonderful meals, sipping wine, and dancing under the stars with Paolo and the other guests. The day before we departed Chicco di Grano, Nonna beckoned us into the kitchen. Through hand gestures and patient demonstration, she taught us to make her rosemary-infused focaccia and pillowy gnocchi. Those couple of hours lit a culinary fire in me and taught me about the importance of taking care in preparing meals for those you love. My notes from that lesson were tucked away in my travel journal that my parents found recently. Unfortunately, I was missing the amounts for a couple of the focaccia ingredients. So, the basic focaccia recipe is from Food & Wine Magazine. The toppings, however, are Nonna-inspired. I think she would have approved.
The focaccia recipe:
In a medium bowl, stir together yeast, warm water, and honey. Let rest until yeast blooms and bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, 5 to 10 minutes.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Remove dough from bowl and press it into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking sheet until it touches the edges. Using your finger, poke holes all over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion slices, cover and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Top the dough with tomato slices, caramelized onions, rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack. Cut into pieces and serve.
Other focaccia recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's Soft Chickpea Focaccia (Farinata) with Zucchini, Rosemary & Roasted Red Peppers
Gluten-Free Goddess' Gluten-Free Focaccia with Tomato & Garlic
Smitten Kitchen's Grape Focaccia with Rosemary
Printable Recipe
Focaccia with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium tomato cut into ¼-inch slices
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary needles removed from stem
- â…“ cup packed finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together yeast, warm water, and honey. Let rest until yeast blooms and bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in flour, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Remove dough from bowl and press it into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking sheet until it touches the edges. Using your finger, poke holes all over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion slices, cover and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
- Top the dough with tomato slices, caramelized onions, rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack. Cut into pieces and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
sky
yeah this bread turned out AWESOME on the first try. Everyone loved it and it is soooo easy.
Dara
So great to hear that, Sky!
Tia Mia
Oops. I forgot to mention that I have had so many failures making any kind of dough. This was my first successful recipe. It was fabulous.
Tia Mia
Dara deserves much praise for this wonderful recipe. However, it would be most helpful, if everyone would , also, add additional information such as they tried the recipe, how it turned out, or any changes they made, or any mistakes, they made,etc.
Anastasia
Nice !
Maura
Recipe was delicious and easy to follow. I doubled mine because I had so many tomatoes from my garden to use up and didn’t have too much trouble except for some excessive rising once in the oven. I also put the focaccia back in under a low broiler at the end for a little extra crisp... so good!!!
Lisa
Thanks for the recipe! This was delicious!! I actually ended up making it twice today lol the first one disappeared and a second was requested. Second time around, I double the onions because I love onions, and my goodness, it was amazing!
Dara
That's so great to hear, Lisa!
Ashley
Delicious! I make it every Sunday for my family and they love it!
Marina
I regularly bake bread, but had never tried my hand at focaccia. This recipe turned out so well and it was perfect for dipping into olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Thank you!
Jess
It was too thin for what I normally like. I would definitely make it again but in a smaller pan so that the dough comes out thicker and more fluffy like traditional focaccia.
Dara
Hi Jess, authentic focaccia is often thinner, though can be found thicker and fluffier like you're describing. Google "traditional focaccia" and you'll be able to pull up plenty of photos of thin focaccia from very reliable sources. That being said, I'm glad you enjoyed the flavor!
Jessica Merz
Terrific recipe. Delicious and perfect every time.
Cristina Sanmartin
Terrific focaccia!
Trish Pines
Very Good recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Wicker67
So easy and so delicious. I just made it this morning and had to let you how wonderful it turned out. I did saute some minced garlic with the onions and also sprinkled some dried thyme with the rosemary. I'm looking forward to trying other ingredients such as artichokes, olives and even jalapenos. The bread is so delicious, light and airy, I just wanna eat the whole thing.
Thank you for sharing this super tasty recipe.
mosocookie
Delicious and so easy! I did, however, need to add an extra half a cup of flour. It tasted delicious!!!
Anne
Would love to try this recipe! Can we use butter instead of olive oil?
Radhika
This looks fantastic! Can't wait to try it! Could I substitute all purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour?
Dara
Hi Radhika, I think that would work well. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Maureen K
Delicious! Only problem I have is how do I prevent my carmelized onions from getting too dark during the baking process? Other than that, delicious!
Dara
Hi Maureen, I'm glad you enjoyed it! If you notice that the onions are getting too brown, try placing (loosely) a piece of foil on top.
Silvia Ethel
Could you kindly give me the yeast quantity in spoons? We don't have yeast packages in Brazil, and I'd love to try your focaccia recipe!! Thanks in advance!
Andrea
Made this today and it was fantastic! Beautiful presentation and spectacular taste. One of my favorite bread recipes I've made so far. The most time consuming part is caramelizing the onions, but it's worth it.
Dara
I'm so glad that you loved it as much as I do, Andrea! Now you've inspired me to make it again sometime this week.
Andi
Made this for Mother's Day and it was the perfect side. Thank-you for sharing this.