“Quick” Rosemary & Caramelized Onion Focaccia

Sometimes you just NEED savory, carb-y, salty, soft goodness.  And sometimes you need it now, not like…tomorrow.  While a really good authentic focaccia (like my true love from Samin Nosrat) requires a solid 18-24 hours from start to finish, this “quick” rosemary & caramelized onion focaccia is a winner on speed.

I don’t know why perfection on this quick focaccia recipe eluded me so much.  Like the story of the 3 Little Bears, my end results were too thin, too crispy, then too soft, etc. 

So mostly I’ve been making this on repeat for months, adjusting the amounts in the dough to get to the right amounts, thickness, and texture.  

While this isn’t as crunchy as a traditional focaccia (which needs a good overnight rise to get there) and doesn’t have quite the open irregular crumb structure, you just can’t expect that same texture from something you make in a few hours.  It’s still incredibly delicious and satisfying.

Save for later:  What Bread You Should Make Based On How Long You Have…

And let’s spend a minute talking about this dreamy combination of caramelized onions and fresh rosemary, studded with flaky sea salt and doused with a really excellent olive oil.  

This flavor combo is SO good, super easy, and makes this a great standalone bread as well as pairing well with meals.  I’ve also left off either the onions or rosemary before, and even done this with just the flaky sea salt, and it’s still awesome.

The key here is that you need to use REALLY GOOD olive oil for your drizzling.  You can skimp a bit on what goes into the dough itself and use your regular EVOO, but what you pour on the pan, on the dough, and on the final baked bread needs to be primo.

I’m a huge fan of Brightland olive oils and vinegars, they’re my go-to for this type of recipe where the taste and quality really matters.  I rotate between different ones for this focaccia, but their Awake oil is a staple for this.   

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We’ll start by making the dough.  In the bowl of your large stand mixer, add the water and sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Add 5 tablespoons of the oil and whisk together. Set aside for about 5 minutes, just to make sure the yeast is blooming.

I prefer using instant yeast rather than worrying about active dry’s quirks.

Then add MOST of the flour (I usually start with about 5 1/2 cups) and the sea salt.  Begin stirring it in on low speed with the dough hook attachment, gradually increasing the speed as the mixture comes together (about 3 minutes). 

You’ll need to stop it a couple times and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides, making sure the flour gets incorporated.  As it starts to get fully stirred in, determine if you need more flour (you probably will). 

Add flour a quarter cup at a time with the mixer running, until you get a super sticky, wet dough.  If your dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of warm water at a time to loosen it slightly. 

Knead in the mixer on medium-low or on your counter by hand until the dough becomes stretchy and smoother, forming a ball.  I’ve done both, but mixer is definitely the less messy option of the two 🙂 

Form the dough into a ball (or ball-ish, if it’s too sticky) and place into a large lightly-oiled bowl.  You can swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 1/2 hours, sometimes a little longer depending on the temperature in your kitchen). 

While the dough is rising, caramelize the onion if using it for topping (so it has some time to cool down). 

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Make sure the onions are sliced thinly, and add them to the skillet.  Sprinkle with salt and (optional) a little sugar as well. 

Cook on medium-low for a few minutes, then turn the heat down a bit and continue to cook on low until tender and golden (anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes) but NOT truly dark caramelized—the pic below is too dark.  This is because they’ll also cook in the oven at pretty high heat, and you don’t want them charred and ashy.

If using, finely mince fresh rosemary as well.

Now we assemble!  Once the dough has doubled in size, pour oil in the bottom of a clean baking sheet & spread around. 

Punch down the dough in the bowl gently, then place it in the baking sheet and gently stretch the dough to fit the pan.  You want it to fill the pan completely if possible.  If the dough resists, let it rest for a few minutes and try again (sometimes the dough can be moody).

Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and let it rise again until doubled in size (about 40-60 minutes).

Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 F. 

When the dough has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap. Dimple the surface of the risen focaccia using the first three fingertips of each hand.  Gently press down into the dough in a fairly close pattern, creating deep divots.

Pour the more olive oil over the surface of the dough (don’t be stingy, go with your heart!). Sprinkle on the sea salt (add the amount of salt you prefer, I definitely like focaccia saltier) and sprinkle on the chopped rosemary and caramelized onions.

Bake for 25-40 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed around the edges, with a nice crust on top (and around 200 F inside, if you have a thermometer). 

The reason this range is so wide is that the thickness will depend on the pan you’re using, but definitely start checking at 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Pour more olive oil over it and let sit for a few minutes.  Then lift the focaccia from the pan onto a cooling rack.  Ideally let it cook for at least 10-15 minutes, and the cut and serve.

Somehow this caramelized onion & rosemary focaccia never makes it as far as the dinner table…my family devours it standing at the counter, hacking pieces off like a bunch of vultures.  And if that isn’t an endorsement of this recipe, I don’t know what is!

Other delicious bread recipes you’ll love:

• Samin Nosrat’s Authentic Ligurian Focaccia
• Quick 1-Hour(ish) Skillet Focaccia (at the other end of the spectrum)
• Caramelized Onion, Spinach, Feta, & Olive Oil Quick Bread
• Crusty French Baguettes in Less Than an Hour
• Rosemary Olive Oil Bread with Sea Salt (a staple in our family!) 

Adapted slightly from Savoring Italy

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"Quick" Rosemary & Caramelized Onion Focaccia

Yield: 1 large sheet pan of focaccia

Prep Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours

This delicious, easy caramelized onion & rosemary focaccia bread is the answer to your savory carb cravings! It's a "quick" focaccia vs. the traditional overnight rise that's needed, making it a great same-day bread recipe option.

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Ingredients

• DOUGH
• 2 2/3 cups of warm tap water
• 5 teaspoons of instant yeast
• 8 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 1/2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons of sea salt
• CARAMELIZED ONIONS
• 1 medium onion, peeled & sliced thinly
• 1-3 teaspoons OF sea salt or kosher salt
• A couple teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• Optional: a sprinkling of sugar 
• OTHER TOPPINGS
• 3-4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil (for pouring on the dough & bread...I use more though)
• 1-2 tablespoonS of fresh rosemary, minced finely (not the stems)
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Make the dough:  In the bowl of your large stand mixer, add the water and sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Add 5 tablespoons of the oil and whisk together. Set aside for about 5 minutes, just to make sure the yeast is blooming.
2. Then add MOST of the flour (I usually start with about 5 1/2 cups) and the sea salt.  Begin stirring it in on low speed with the dough hook attachment, gradually increasing the speed as the mixture comes together (about 3 minutes). 
3. You'll need to stop it a couple times and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides, making sure the flour gets incorporated.  As it starts to get fully stirred in, determine if you need more flour (you probably will).  Add flour a quarter cup at a time with the mixer running, until you get a super sticky, wet dough.  If your dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of warm water at a time to loosen it slightly.   
4. Knead in the mixer on medium-low or on your counter by hand until the dough becomes stretchy and smoother, forming a ball.  I've done both, but mixer is definitely the less messy option of the two.
5. Form the dough into a ball (or ball-ish, if it's too sticky) and place into a large lightly-oiled bowl.  You can swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 1/2 hours, sometimes a little longer depending on the temperature in your kitchen). 
7. Make the topping:  While the dough is rising, caramelize the onion if using it for topping (so it cools down). 
8. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Make sure the onions are sliced thinly, and add them to the skillet.  Sprinkle with salt and (optional) a little sugar as well.  Cook on medium-low for a few minutes, then turn the heat down a bit and continue to cook on low until tender and golden (anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes) but NOT truly dark caramelized.  This is because they'll also cook in the oven at pretty high heat, and you don't want them charred and ashy.
9. If using, finely mince fresh rosemary as well.
10. Assemble & bake:  Once the dough has doubled in size, pour oil in the bottom of a clean baking sheet & spread around. 
11. Punch down the dough in the bowl gently, then place it in the baking sheet and gently stretch the dough to fit the pan.  You want it to fill the pan completely if possible.  If the dough resists, let it rest for a few minutes and try again (sometimes the dough can be moody).
12. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and let it rise again until doubled in size (about 40-60 minutes).
13. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 F. 
14. When the dough has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap. Dimple the surface of the risen focaccia using the first three fingertips of each hand.  Gently press down into the dough in a fairly close pattern, creating deep divots.
15. Pour the more olive oil over the surface of the dough (don't be stingy, go with your heart!). Sprinkle on the sea salt (add the amount of salt you prefer, I definitely like focaccia saltier) and sprinkle on the chopped rosemary and caramelized onions.
16. Bake for 25-40 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed around the edges, with a nice crust on top (and around 200 F inside, if you have a thermometer).  The reason this range is so wide is that the thickness will depend on the pan you're using, but definitely start checking at 25 minutes.
17. Remove from oven. Pour more olive oil over it and let sit for a few minutes.  Then lift the focaccia from the pan onto a cooling rack.  Ideally let it cook for at least 10-15 minutes, and the cut and serve.

Notes

1. I have tried using both all-purpose and bread flour, and a combination of both, and they're all great.
2. You may not always need the full amount of flour (it will depend on may environmental factors)...humidity, type of flour, etc). I always start by adding about 80% and go from there.
3. Don't cook your onions to true caramelization, as they'll cook again in a very hot oven and may end up charred and ashy.

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