Recipe – Roasted Onion Focaccia
Ingredients
| For the Focaccia | For the Caramelised Onions |
| 4 cups of 00 or plain flour | 2 tbsp butter |
| 1 tsp of dry yeast | 1 tbsp olive oil |
| 1 1/2 cups tepid water, plus extra as required | 3 large onions, sliced |
| 2 tsp of salt flakes | 2 tbsp brown sugar |
| 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil | 1 tbsp red wine vinegar |
| Chopped parsley to garnish | 1 tsp steak seasoning |
Directions
Step 1 – Place the flour, yeast and most of the water into a large bowl and bring together with a wooden spoon. The texture should be a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add more water, a little at a time, if required, to achieve a soft dough consistency. Add the salt and olive oil and mix again until just combined. Cover the bowl with cling film and allow the dough to prove for at least 10-12 hours. The mix should at least double in size and appear bubbly.
Step 2 – With oiled hands punch the dough down then gently lift the dough from the bowl on one side and fold over the top of the dough ball, repeating 4 times as you turn the bowl. Allow to rest for another hour.
Step 3 – While the dough is resting, preheat the BBQ to medium heat – approximately 180-200°C and prepare for direct grilling. Preheat a BBQ safe frying pan and once hot, add the butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt and start to foam a little. Add the onions and toss to coat in the butter mixture, then cover the frying pan with foil or a lid and allow to cook for around 10 minutes without stirring. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, add the brown sugar, red wine vinegar and steak seasoning and stir together. Cook for a further 10 – 15 minutes, uncovered, or until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.
Step 4 – Remove the dough from the bowl and place it gently into an oiled oven-proof baking dish. Gently spread the dough to fill the dish. Spread the onion mixture over the top of the dough then push it into the dough with your fingers. Drizzle the top of the focaccia with olive oil and sprinkle with additional salt flakes.
Step 5 – Ensure the BBQ is set to medium heat – approximately 180-200°C. Set up the BBQ for indirect cooking. If you are using a Weber Q, set up your barbecue with a convection tray and trivet. Once the BBQ has reached temperature, bake the focaccia with the BBQ lid closed for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden. Drizzle with a little extra oil and garnish with the parsley flakes. Serve warm.
