Focaccia with olives and onions
Focaccia coperta
My local Puglian bakery sells slices of freshly made focaccia with olives and onions. And it is hard to imagine a better midday “sandwich”.
Focaccia with olives and onions is related to pizza as original Italian fastfood. Yet I have never seen this particular version outside Puglia. And it is positively additive with the finger friendly cover and a moist filling that balances salt, sweet and savoury in one divine bite. It is heavenly.
I have therefore invested quite a lot of effort in developing a recipe for focaccia with olives and onions that comes close to the Puglian bakery version. And this does the trick.
Ingredients
For the pastry
400 g flour
25 g yeast
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt
200 ml tepid water
For the filling
4 red onions – preferably from Tropea
Olive oil
100 g pitted black olives
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preparation
Dissolve yeast and salt in water
Stir in the olive oil
Gradually mix in the flour until you have a shiny, non-stick dough
Knead the dough thoroughly and leave to rise under a wet tea towel for 1 hour.
Meanwhile prepare the filling.
Peel and slice the onions finely.
Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add a little water if necessary.
Chop the olives and add them to the onion
When the onions have stated to disintegrate stir in sugar and balsamic vinegar. (Or you can use some leftover onion marmelade)
Heat the filling though and adjust the texture with water to increase moisture
Grease a metal focaccia tin or other round baking tin with olive oil
Roll out two-thirds of the dough in a circle and use it to line the baking tin.
Fill the dough with the onion-olive mixture
Roll out the rest of the dough and use it to cover the filling
Press the edges together, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and pick a few holes in the cover to let out steam.
Bake the focaccia with olives and onions in the oven at 180 C / 350 F for about 30 minutes.
Serve the focaccia with olives and onions while it is still warm.
Other alternatives to focaccia with olives and onions
Focaccia with olives and onions like the snack sold in Puglian bakeries
Italian Notes
I am sitting in a crappy hotel room in the middle of nowhere after a bowl of cereal for dinner (isn’t travel glamorous?) so this sounds amazing. Well it actually sounds amazing even without my present circumstances.
Even far out in the Canadian wilderness thoughts and photos of food can bring some kind of satisfaction (Or the opposite).
Oh I think I could eat this any time of the day! What a gorgeous little pastry!
Me too, but it has to be reasonably fresh, so for me mornings are out of the question.
I’m playing catch up with several of your posts. I was taking care of Phoenix the past 3 months and that was our life. This sounds great!! Then again, just about every recipe you put up makes my mouth water, Mette! :)
I’m so glad to see you around again Mike, and to read that Phoenix has pulled through and is on the mend. I’ve really missed your always interesting and encouraging comments. So thank you for getting back to me:)
Mette, you are so creative to develop your own recipe. It is only these past 10 years that I have really started to really like olives. This looks so healthy and delicious. Thank you for sharing! :)
As you’ve pointed out before, Carl, we all live and learn:) And I’m pretty sure you’d appreciate this type of focaccia.