The no-knead onion focaccia is a very simple yeasted bread: it’s a variant of the no-knead focaccia, perfect to prepare for an aperitif or a buffet. A very quick recipe to prepare, where you will need a stand mixer to knead, but just a spoon, a bowl, and a bit of resting time between folds.
The preparation is very similar to the no-knead focaccia, to which I’ve added thinly sliced onions, previously cooked in a pan with oil and salt. Make sure they only soften and don’t burn, as they will be placed on the focaccia before baking and will finish cooking then.
After kneading flour, water, yeast, oil, and salt, all you need to do is wait a few hours for the dough to rise, then spread the dough in a rectangular or round baking pan, if you prefer. Another half hour of rising, then use your fingers to create the classic dimples, where the onions will be distributed. The result will be a very soft and tasty rustic bread, hard to resist! Curious to find out how to make it? Then let’s head to the kitchen, because the no-knead onion focaccia will be ready in a click!
If you’re interested in other focaccia recipes, also check out:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 460.06 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 82.47 (g) of which sugars 5.06 (g)
- Proteins 10.68 (g)
- Fat 12.92 (g) of which saturated 2.01 (g)of which unsaturated 1.47 (g)
- Fibers 14.41 (g)
- Sodium 1,620.64 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 175 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 21 oz flour (W 350 or type 1)
- 1 3/4 cups water (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 tsp dry brewer's yeast
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 5 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 lb oz white onions (cleaned weight)
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Tools
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Baking Pan
- Frying Pan
Steps
First, pour the room temperature water into a bowl, along with the oil and yeast, and stir. Then add the flour and mix with a spoon. Once it has absorbed the liquids, add the salt and continue mixing with the spoon until you get a more compact dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. Then take the dough and bring the edges of the dough towards the center with slightly damp hands or a spoon. Cover again with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Repeat this operation 3 times. Then take the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Do another round of folds this way. Cover it with the bowl and let it rest for another 15 minutes. After the resting time, do reinforcing folds. Slightly flatten the dough to form a rectangle and fold it in half, bringing one end over the other. Turn the dough over again and repeat the same operation 2 more times. Close the dough well and put it in the bowl to rise, covering it with plastic wrap for at least 2 hours or until it doubles in volume. To help, you can place the bowl in the turned-off oven with the light on.
While the dough is rising, prepare the onions. Clean them and slice them thinly. Transfer them to a non-stick pan with the oil, add the salt and sugar, and cook the onions over low heat with the lid on for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once they become transparent, increase the heat to evaporate the water they released. Then turn off the heat and let them cool.
Now take the focaccia dough and turn it out onto an oil-greased baking pan. Spread it out very quickly with your hands, then cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 30 minutes. When you spread it, it will tend to shrink back. Don’t worry, just let it rise in the pan, and after the resting time, it will have filled the entire pan.
After the half-hour rising time, take the dough and make the classic dimples on the focaccia. Then distribute the onions evenly and make more dimples with your fingers. Bake the focaccia in a preheated static oven at 482°F (250°C) on the lower rack for 10 minutes. Then finish cooking by moving the pan to the middle rack for another 10 minutes, or until the surface becomes golden.
Take the focaccia out of the oven, let it cool, and cut it into squares or rectangles with the help of a knife before serving.
Storage and Tips for the Onion Focaccia
It’s best to enjoy the onion focaccia right away, just out of the oven, still warm and fragrant. It can also be stored in a cool, dry place for one or two days in a covered container. Alternatively, it can also be frozen after cooling and portioning.
FAQ Questions and Answers for the Onion Focaccia
Can I use red onions?
Yes, you can replace the white onions with red or yellow ones.
Can I use fresh yeast?
Yes, you can replace dry brewer’s yeast with fresh yeast. Of course, the quantities change. In this case, you should multiply the amount of dry yeast in the recipe by 3.29. This will give you the grams of fresh yeast to use for your recipe.
