Medium baking tray with shallow sides, roughly 23X32cm
Lint-free tea towel or cheesecloth
Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
500gplain flour
75mlextra virgin olive oil
1Tbspfine sea salt
230mlwater
2Tbspwhite sugar
7gsacheteasy bake or fast action yeast
For the topping
1½Tbspfresh rosemaryroughly chopped (or 1 ½ tsp dried)
Extra virgin olive oilfor drizzling
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4clovesgarlicthinly sliced
2large onionsthinly sliced
50gbutter
Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Parmesangrated, to taste
Instructions
In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast without allowing the yeast and salt to touch at first, as the salt will kill the yeast if it touches before the other ingredients are combined. Mix to combine then add the olive oil and water. Keep mixing until a dough forms.
Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and knead for 12-13 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively, knead in a stand mixer for 10 minutes with the dough hook attachment.
Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat the entire ball with oil so it doesn't form a skin. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take around 1 hour 10 minutes.
In the meantime, make the caramelised onions. In a frying pan or saucepan over medium low heat, add the oil and butter and let it melt, add the onion and slowly cook, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to caramelise. This will take around 35 to 40 minutes – don’t rush this process. Season with salt and allow the onions to cool.
Once the dough is doubled in size, turn it out into the oiled baking pan. Stretch the dough out to a rectangular shape (the same size as the pan) around 2.5cm thick. Using your fingertips make dimples in the dough, drizzle over a little oil, the add a pinch of sea salt, pepper, and the sliced garlic and rosemary. Cover the pan with a lint-free tea towel or cheesecloth and allow the dough to rest for around half an hour.
While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Place the focaccia on a low shelf in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, scatter the onions over the focaccia and top with a generous handful of parmesan. Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. The bread should sound hollow when tapped.
Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.