Potato Focaccia With Caramelized Onions, Olives & Rosemary

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Focaccia is hands down my favorite type of bread to make because it is so easy, and it’s also my favorite bread to eat. If I have fresh baked focaccia in my kitchen, I must force myself to leave the room, or else I would keep nibbling at it until I ended up eating the whole tray myself.

I also love making focaccia because the flavor options are endless, and you can top it with just about anything creating an entirely new bread each time you bake. I first tasted focaccia made with potato dough when we were in Puglia and it was love at first bite. The potatoes keep the focaccia very tender, and add a depth of flavor that is truly addictive.

I decided to make focaccia recently to use up a bag of onions I had bought at the Cannara Onion Festival. Cannara onions are funny looking squat things, that fry up nice and sweet. I added some black Gaeta olives we bought on a recent trip to the Gaeta area, and seasoned it with fresh rosemary and sea salt.

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Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Potato Focaccia With Caramelized Onions, Olives & Rosemary

Potato Focaccia With Caramelized Onions, Olives & Rosemary

Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Potato, Peeled & Diced
  • 4 Cups All-purpose Flour
  • 2 1/2 Teaspoons Instant Active Dry Yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • Warm Water

Topping:

  • 4 Medium To Large Sweet Onions, Peeled & Thinly Sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 20 Flavorful Black Olives, Pitted & Cut In Half
  • 2 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary
  • Coarse Sea Salt
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Cook the potato in lightly salted water until tender, then drain and mash. In a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast, potatoes, oil, and salt, then add just enough warm water to create a dough. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, or until smooth and shiny. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot in the kitchen, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, heat the oil in a heavy skillet and then add the onions. Cook the onions over medium low heat, stirring often for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a large baking tray (13 X 11 inches) and press the dough to fit. Scatter the onions, olives, rosemary, and sea salt evenly over the top, then drizzle generously with the olive oil. Let the focaccia rest 30 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature before slicing.

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8 Comments

  1. Love to receive your Newsletters! There is always something appetizing to try. This looks like no exception. Quick question: when and how do you add the yeast? I have always made my focaccia and also my schiacciatta using an abbreviated ‘biga’ pre-ferment of ~4-6 hours. Can I just bypass that for this recipe?

  2. I’ve never made focaccia, but this picture looks delicious, so I’m definitely going to try it! Can you top these with cheese, or will that make the bread too soggy?

  3. Thanks for this recipe. I don’t know why, but I assumed focaccia would be difficult to make. I will definitely give it a go now!

  4. in the oven now, whole house smells divine. i used fresh thyme sprigs instead of rosemary.
    this is a fine recipe, i will make it again and again with all the summer’s fresh offerings.
    frizzled leeks, grilled zucchini or fennel….

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