Red Onion & Garlic Focaccia
Homemade bread is there anything more rewarding or delicious to bake in your very own oven The process is exciting and fun activating the yeast waiting for the dough to rise and finally pulling your golden bread from the oven to devour fresh and warm its bliss For those of you out there a little intimidated by bread baking never fear this is a really simple no knead recipe that delivers a beautiful tasty bread Perfect for snacking as an appetizer when entertaining or to serve with soups stews pasta or a crispy salad focaccia is truly versatile Add your favourite herbs and spices to this focaccia recipe and experiment with different toppings try adding sliced olives or leeks grated vegetarian or vegan cheese sliced chilli or a sprinkle of different fresh herbs With a little preparation time you will be rewarded with beautiful and tasty home baked bread to enjoy fresh from the oven
Homemade bread is there anything more rewarding or delicious to bake in your very own oven The process is exciting and fun activating the yeast waiting for the dough to rise and finally pulling your golden bread from the oven to devour fresh and warm its bliss For those of you out there a little intimidated by bread baking never fear this is a really simple no knead recipe that delivers a beautiful tasty bread Perfect for snacking as an appetizer when entertaining or to serve with soups stews pasta or a crispy salad focaccia is truly versatile Add your favourite herbs and spices to this focaccia recipe and experiment with different toppings try adding sliced olives or leeks grated vegetarian or vegan cheese sliced chilli or a sprinkle of different fresh herbs With a little preparation time you will be rewarded with beautiful and tasty home baked bread to enjoy fresh from the oven
- toppings:
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 1 tsp raw sugar
- 13/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup gluten flour (wheat gluten)
- 15 ounces flour preferable 00/bakers flour
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 tomato sliced ripe
- 1 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds or fennel seeds
- fresh thyme chopped
- Carbohydrate 86.2206157015177 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.11200664080594 g
- Fiber 4.37662260240092 g
- Protein 12.4744415087395 g
- Saturated Fat 0.438141436414427 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (449g)
- Sodium 540.334047561755 mg
- Sugar 81.8439930991168 g
- Trans Fat 0.481288979344959 g
- Calories 428 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the yeast and sugar with approximately ½ cup of the warm water, add the remaining warm water and the tablespoon of olive oil, set aside.
- Sift the flours into a large bowl, add the salt flakes, fennel and celery seeds; stir gently to combine and make a well in the centre.
- Check the yeast mixture is activated, you’ll notice the yeast very gently bubbling or rising to the surface, this may take a few minutes to happen.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and using a wooden spoon stir for 1-2 minutes until well combined and formed into a soft, sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place in a warm corner to allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour or until approximately doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F
- Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and using floured hands, halve the dough into two rounds. Arrange the rounds onto lightly oiled baking trays and gently shape and flatten.
- Top with sliced tomato, onion, garlic, cumin or fennel seeds and thyme. Brush with the olive oil and allow to rest for a further 15 minutes before placing in the hot oven for 10 -15 minutes until bread is golden brown.
- Remove when evenly cooked and firm, slide onto a baking rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and devouring. Enjoy!!
Warm focaccia emerges from a 220°C oven with a deeply golden crust crackling around blistered cherry tomatoes, translucent red onion slivers, and toasted fennel seeds. Achieving this high heat ensures the olive oil coating fries the exterior into a crisp shell while the interior remains pillowy. Many flatbread styles demand extensive kneading, but this slack, high-hydration dough relies on a one-hour bulk fermentation to develop structure without physical manipulation.
Structuring a meal around this bread requires considering its density and aromatic profile. The assertive bite of minced raw garlic and sweet onion pairs naturally with clear vegetable broths or slow-simmered bean stews that can soak into the porous crumb. Avoid pairing this bread with heavily spiced curries that might overshadow the botanical notes of celery and fennel seeds baked into the dough.
Dividing the dough into two rounds before the final fifteen-minute rest allows for flexible portioning. Halving the batch suits smaller households, whereas scaling the ingredients upward requires maintaining the ratio of 15 ounces of flour to 13/4 cups of warm water to prevent the dough from becoming too dense to rise properly.
