Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2024)

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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.
Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (1)

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.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2)

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.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (3)

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.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (4)

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
Gluten-Free Goddess' Gluten-Free Focaccia with Tomato & Garlic
Smitten Kitchen's Grape Focaccia with Rosemary

Printable Recipe

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (5)

Focaccia with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary Recipe

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.

4.71 from 41 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breads

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Pizza Recipe

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

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
  • 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

Basic focaccia recipe adapted from Food & Wine Magazine.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (6)

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2024)

FAQs

What is the best flour for focaccia? ›

Flour - I used a mixture of bread flour and All-purpose flour (high grade or strong and plain if you're not in the US). Bread flour is slightly higher in protein than All-purpose, so gives the focaccia just a little more chew. I love the mix of both, but just AP flour works just fine too!

What to eat with rosemary focaccia? ›

Dips & Spreads
  1. Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe. There's no more authentic way to eat focaccia than with vinegar and olive oil! ...
  2. Olive Tapenade. ...
  3. Hummus. ...
  4. Baba Ganoush. ...
  5. Creamy Whipped Feta Dip. ...
  6. Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce) ...
  7. Pesto.
Aug 1, 2023

Why does focaccia use so much olive oil? ›

Now, focaccia uses plenty of olive oil, not only in the dough, but for kneading, proofing, in the baking pan, and on the bread's surface before baking. All this fat means the texture is light, moist and springy, the crust emerges golden and crisp, plus the center stays soft for days afterwards.

Why is my focaccia not fluffy? ›

Why is my focaccia not fluffy or chewy? It could be the type of flour you used. The best flour to use to make focaccia bread is bread flour which gives you fluffy baked bread. Or, it could also be because you did not knead the dough enough for the gluten to form a structure which can result in flat or dense bread.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour for focaccia? ›

Herb Oil – Made with olive oil, fresh or dry herbs, kosher salt, black pepper, and minced garlic. Bread Flour – Using bread flour gives the focaccia a chewy texture; you can substitute all-purpose flour without ruining the recipe, but your bread will be significantly lighter and missing that characteristic texture.

Should focaccia be thin or thick? ›

Traditionally Tuscan focaccia is medium thick and medium soft but crispy on the outside. Salt and rosemary are its usual companions. However, throughout Tuscany you can also find a thin and crispy version as well thick and very soft. Tuscan panini with cheese and cold cuts often use focaccia for a base.

What do Italians eat with focaccia bread? ›

Antipasto Platter: Arrange an antipasto platter featuring an assortment of Italian delights such as marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, bruschetta, and cured meats. The bold flavors and textures of the antipasto items complement the subtle herbaceousness of the focaccia.

Which olive oil is best for focaccia? ›

Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil and don't be shy with it – this is a recipe that relies heavily on extra virgin olive oil not just for the taste but also for the texture and that golden and crunchy crust. It's important we are not skimping on the quality which is why I recommend using Rich Glen olive oil.

How to tell when focaccia is done? ›

Focaccia is a lean-dough bread—there is almost no sugar in it and there is no fat in the dough to enrich it. That means that it is done cooking between 190 and 210°F (88 and 99°C).

How do you know if focaccia is Overproofed? ›

But when it comes to over proofing, then often the outside will tell a good tale too. As the gluten breaks down the loaf will not be able to keep its shape. It may be flat or if it is proofed and baked in a tin, then the sides of it will start spilling over. It will not rise as it is baking either.

What is the trick to fluffy bread? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

Can you overwork focaccia dough? ›

If mixed too long the dough can become loose and sticky. The water that was absorbed by the flour gets released back into the dough and the gluten structure breaks down. After this there is no way to fix it. It will be a loose, soggy, and sticky mass unable to hold in fermentation gasses.

What flour makes bread rise the best? ›

While bread flour is the best option, it can sometimes be used if you don't have bread flour. “Check the protein content,” advises Chef Jürgen, since it can vary from brand to brand, and an all-purpose flour that contains protein on the higher end of the range, 12 to 13 percent, will produce a better outcome.

What is the best flour for yeast baking? ›

For best results, base your yeast dough on wheat flour — only wheat-based flour provides the type and amount of protein yeast dough needs to support its structure. Whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, bread flour, or all-purpose flour are all good choices.

What is the best flour to use for Italian bread? ›

If you've made my favorite white bread recipe, you may remember that I opt for all-purpose flour because it produces a super light and fluffy bread. In contrast, we want to use bread flour for this Italian bread due to its higher protein content, which will create a bread that is chewier in texture and a bit denser.

References

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