Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2024)

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This focaccia recipe, topped with caramelized onions and tomatoes, is inspired by a trip to Italy and a meeting with a kind-hearted Italian grandmother.
Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (1)

I learned many years ago not to question Italian grandmothers when it comes to matters of the kitchen, particularly when these matters involve a classic focaccia recipe and gnocchi. When I was in my early twenties, making an epic backpacking trip around Europe (well, it was epic to me anyways), my friend and I stayed at a charming pensione, named Chicco di Grano, in the heart of Tuscany.

While the family-run inn was not the luxurious Italian villa that regularly stars in my daydreams, it was many steps above the bunk-sleeping, shower-sharing youth hostels of our travels to that point. Nestled at the top of a long driveway lined by prolific olive trees and host to an expansive view of the surrounding vineyards and groves, Chicco di Grano was the destination of many Italian travelers. Perhaps our very limited handle of the Italian language (counting from one to ten doesn't count) was why we got off on the wrong foot with the proprietor's elderly mother.

Dinners at Chicco di Grano were enjoyed at the long wooden table set on the stone patio. If you were the newcomers, as we were the first night, you were seated at the end of the table furthest away from the hosts, Paolo and Jean - and Paolo's mother (we'll call her Nonna). As guests departed on subsequent nights, the newcomers became old-timers and moved up the table. It was that first night that we were under the intense scrutiny of Nonna. Each time I looked up the table, she was studying us, never sparing a smile for either my friend or me. What had we done to offend her? Had we broken some cardinal rule of Italian dining?

With some trepidation, we arrived at the breakfast table the next morning. When Nonna came into the room, she shuffled over to us, wished us a hearty "Buongiorno", pulled each of us down to her, and planted kisses on our cheeks. Besides being effusive in our compliments of the dinner and throwing a wild party in our room, we had no idea how we made our way into her good graces overnight. It was not to be questioned.

As the days went by, we spent many hours around that table on the patio, diving into the wonderful meals, sipping wine, and dancing under the stars with Paolo and the other guests. The day before we departed Chicco di Grano, Nonna beckoned us into the kitchen. Through hand gestures and patient demonstration, she taught us to make her rosemary-infused focaccia and pillowy gnocchi. Those couple of hours lit a culinary fire in me and taught me about the importance of taking care in preparing meals for those you love. My notes from that lesson were tucked away in my travel journal that my parents found recently. Unfortunately, I was missing the amounts for a couple of the focaccia ingredients. So, the basic focaccia recipe is from Food & Wine Magazine. The toppings, however, are Nonna-inspired. I think she would have approved.

The focaccia recipe:

In a medium bowl, stir together yeast, warm water, and honey. Let rest until yeast blooms and bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, 5 to 10 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove dough from bowl and press it into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking sheet until it touches the edges. Using your finger, poke holes all over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (3)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion slices, cover and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Top the dough with tomato slices, caramelized onions, rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (4)

Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack. Cut into pieces and serve.

Other focaccia recipes:

Cookin' Canuck's
Gluten-Free Goddess' Gluten-Free Focaccia with Tomato & Garlic
Smitten Kitchen's Grape Focaccia with Rosemary

Printable Recipe

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (5)

Focaccia with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary Recipe

This focaccia recipe, topped with caramelized onions and tomatoes, is inspired by a trip to Italy and a meeting with a kind-hearted Italian grandmother.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breads

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Pizza Recipe

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

  • 1 package dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 1 medium tomato cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary needles removed from stem
  • cup packed finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, stir together yeast, warm water, and honey. Let rest until yeast blooms and bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes.

  • Stir in flour, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, 5 to 10 minutes.

  • Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

  • Remove dough from bowl and press it into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking sheet until it touches the edges. Using your finger, poke holes all over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion slices, cover and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

  • Top the dough with tomato slices, caramelized onions, rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

  • Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack. Cut into pieces and serve.

Notes

Basic focaccia recipe adapted from Food & Wine Magazine.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (6)

Focaccia Recipe with Caramelized Onion, Tomato & Rosemary (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep rosemary from burning on focaccia? ›

How Do You Prevent Fresh Herbs from Burning on Focaccia?
  1. Coarsely chop herbs. The smaller the pieces of herbs, the more quickly they will burn. ...
  2. Coat herbs in oil. Sprinkle the herbs over the surface of the dough, then drizzle with olive oil before dimpling the dough. ...
  3. Bake on the middle rack. ...
  4. Add herbs at the end.
Nov 16, 2023

What are the two types of focaccia? ›

Venetian focaccia is sweet, baked for Easter and resembles the traditional Christmas cake panettone. Sugar and butter are used instead of olive oil and salt. Focaccia barese, which is common in Puglia in southern Italy, is made with durum wheat flour and topped with salt, rosemary, tomatoes or olives.

Is it better to use bread flour or all purpose flour for focaccia? ›

Focaccia: The two focaccias were very different. The one made with bread flour was taller, airier, had much more open bubbles in the crumb, and browned nicely. In the mixer, the all-purpose dough never seemed to come together as a cohesive whole in the same way as the bread flour dough.

Why does focaccia use so much olive oil? ›

Now, focaccia uses plenty of olive oil, not only in the dough, but for kneading, proofing, in the baking pan, and on the bread's surface before baking. All this fat means the texture is light, moist and springy, the crust emerges golden and crisp, plus the center stays soft for days afterwards.

Do you put rosemary in before or after oven? ›

Most of the time, especially when roasting meats, it can be as simple as sprinkling it over meat before placing it in the oven. I also learned that rosemary also blends well with all vegetables, is great in sauces, breads and crackers. It even adds a wonderful taste to cookies and desserts.

How to stop rosemary burning? ›

Ensure that it will be coated evenly with oil or water used in your recipe to prevent it from burning.

Is focaccia healthier than regular bread? ›

A moderate consumption of focaccia bread can be healthy. It is because complex carbs in focaccia offer the body energy slowly and help control blood sugar levels. In addition, it gains an advantage if it contains whole wheat flour. It is also rich in vitamin, mineral, and fibre content.

What do Italians eat focaccia with? ›

A Culinary Romance: What Do You Eat Focaccia Bread With?
  1. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar: the classic duo. ...
  2. Italian hummus: a mediterranean fusion. ...
  3. Fresh mozzarella and tomato: caprese elegance. ...
  4. Prosciutto and arugula: a savoury delight. ...
  5. Roasted vegetables: nature's bounty. ...
  6. Ricotta and honey: a sweet finale.
Jan 30, 2024

Why is focaccia expensive? ›

So why does it tend to be more expensive to purchase? Friends who have worked in the restaurant industry had some thoughts: Focaccia requires a lot of olive oil, which is pricey (though some other breads call for butter and eggs, which pencil out to more in my own Kirkland-brand-olive-oil kitchen).

Can you overproof focaccia? ›

Can you overproof focaccia dough? You can definitely overproof focaccia, but it is difficult. There is so much oil in the dough, and very little sugar, so the yeast is "sleepy" or slow due to both of those elements and less likely to overproof.

Why is my focaccia not fluffy? ›

Why is my focaccia not fluffy or chewy? It could be the type of flour you used. The best flour to use to make focaccia bread is bread flour which gives you fluffy baked bread. Or, it could also be because you did not knead the dough enough for the gluten to form a structure which can result in flat or dense bread.

What type of pan is best for focaccia? ›

I like to use a deep pan (as opposed to a baking sheet) so the focaccia doesn't dry out too fast in the oven. My preferred pans: 9″ x 13″ USA Pan Rectangular Cake Pan.

What is the best oil for focaccia bread? ›

Olive oil: Makes focaccia taste delicious, adding to its texture and flavor. The secret to the best focaccia bread is using a great olive oil.

Why does my focaccia have a soggy bottom? ›

Leave to cool for 5 minutes then flip your focaccia out onto a wire wrack - this will help keep the bread crisp, leaving it to cool in the tin may result in a soggy bottom!

Why does my rosemary look burnt? ›

Overwatering, poor drainage, and high humidity are the stage parents of the plant world, pushing your rosemary too hard and causing those brown spots of despair. Rosemary plants are Mediterranean at heart; they like their soil like they like their vacations—well-drained and not too damp.

Will dry rosemary burn in the oven? ›

Drying rosemary in the oven is the quickest and 'next best option' to using a dehydrator when you want to dry herbs quickly. Tough oven-drying rosemary is quick, though, it does run the risk of 'burning' the herbs – so it should be done with caution.

How to not burn fresh herbs in the oven? ›

I would recommend immersing the herb blend in olive oil for some time, then brushing it on to the chips. If you saturate the herbs it should protect them from burning in the seven minutes they are baking.

References

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