Ultimate Homemade Focaccia with Caramelized Red Onion & Garlic Butter
Picture this: a warm, inviting aroma filling your kitchen, promising a delightful culinary experience. While simple baguettes or store-bought herb breads often grace our BBQ tables, imagine elevating your meal with something truly extraordinary. This isn’t just any bread; it’s a masterpiece of flavors, a homemade focaccia so exquisitely topped that it needs no accompaniment. Forget the endless array of dips and spreads; this focaccia is a complete sensory experience on its own, designed to be the undisputed star of your spread.
Why This Caramelized Red Onion & Garlic Butter Focaccia is a Must-Try
For too long, bread at our gatherings has been merely a vehicle for other flavors – a canvas for herb butter, pesto, or various dips. But what if the bread itself was so incredibly delicious, so rich in flavor, that it became the main event? This focaccia recipe redefines expectations, moving beyond a simple side dish to a standalone delicacy.
Inspired by the rich traditions of Italian baking, yet perfectly suited for an American-style BBQ or any modern feast, this focaccia is adorned with a trio of irresistible toppings: sweet, tender caramelized red onion, deeply aromatic garlic butter, and a generous scattering of fresh herbs. Each element plays a crucial role, creating a harmonious symphony of tastes that will leave your guests utterly captivated. It’s a bread that truly needs nothing more – no extra spread, no fancy dipping oil. Just pure, unadulterated enjoyment straight from the oven.
The only real “downside” to this incredible bread? It disappears remarkably fast! So, be warned: make plenty, because a single loaf will surely not be enough once everyone gets a taste of its crispy crust and soft, flavorful interior.
The Art of Homemade Focaccia: A Journey to Crispy Perfection
Making focaccia from scratch is a rewarding experience, transforming simple ingredients into a rustic, airy, and wonderfully textured bread. The process itself is therapeutic, from the initial kneading to watching the dough rise, brimming with anticipation. The beauty of focaccia lies in its simplicity and versatility, allowing for endless topping possibilities. For this recipe, we delve into a topping combination that’s both classic and elevated, guaranteeing a flavor profile that’s vibrant and memorable.
Mastering the Toppings: Caramelized Red Onions, Aromatic Garlic Butter, and Fresh Herbs
Perfectly Caramelized Red Onions
Caramelizing red onions is a labor of love that yields incredible depth of flavor. Sliced thin and slowly cooked in a touch of olive oil and butter, these onions transform from pungent to sweet, soft, and slightly sticky, with a beautiful reddish-brown hue. This slow-cooking process, taking around 15 minutes, coaxes out their natural sugars, creating a savory-sweet counterpoint that perfectly balances the rich garlic butter. A pinch of salt during caramelization further enhances their flavor, making them an indispensable component of this focaccia.
Rich Garlic Butter Infusion
No savory bread is complete without garlic, and our garlic butter is more than just a spread; it’s an integral part of the focaccia’s character. We combine softened room-temperature butter with finely chopped fresh garlic and a hint of sea salt. This mixture is generously brushed over the hot focaccia fresh out of the oven, allowing the butter to melt into every crevice, infusing the bread with its pungent, aromatic goodness. The heat of the bread brings out the best in the garlic, creating an intoxicating aroma and flavor that’s utterly irresistible.
The Fresh Herb Medley
The final touch that brings this focaccia to life is a vibrant medley of fresh herbs. Imagine the fragrant notes of dill, the sweet basil, earthy oregano, woody thyme, and the delicate bite of chives, all finely chopped and scattered generously over the top. These herbs not only add a burst of color but also contribute a complex aromatic profile that elevates the entire dish. Using fresh herbs is key here, as their bright, lively flavors are unmatched by their dried counterparts, providing that fresh-from-the-garden taste experience.
Tips and Tricks for Your Best Focaccia Ever
- Yeast Activation: Always proof your yeast first with lukewarm water and a touch of honey. If no bubbles form after 5-10 minutes, your yeast is likely inactive, and you’ll need a new batch. This step is crucial for a properly risen focaccia.
- Kneading for Elasticity: Kneading is vital for developing gluten, which gives focaccia its characteristic chewy texture. Knead for at least 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic. If it’s too sticky, add flour sparingly, a tablespoon at a time.
- Warm Proofing Environment: A warm, draft-free place is ideal for the dough to rise effectively. Covering it with a slightly damp tea towel and plastic wrap creates a humid microclimate that prevents the dough from drying out and helps it double in size within an hour.
- Creating Dimples: Don’t be shy when pressing holes into the dough with your fingers! These dimples are not just for aesthetics; they capture the olive oil and toppings, creating pockets of intense flavor and contributing to the focaccia’s unique texture. Just be careful not to poke all the way through.
- Conventional vs. Convection Oven: The recipe calls for a conventional oven temperature. If you’re using a convection oven, remember to reduce the temperature by approximately 30°F / 20°C to prevent over-baking and ensure even cooking.
- Doneness Test: To check if your focaccia is perfectly baked, remove it from the oven and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. If not, return it to the oven for another 5 minutes and re-test.
- Storage: While best enjoyed fresh, leftover focaccia can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for longer. Reheat gently in the oven to restore its crispiness.
- Variations: Feel free to experiment with other toppings! Add sun-dried tomatoes, olives, rosemary, cherry tomatoes, or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for different flavor profiles.
Serving Suggestions and Pairings
While this focaccia is absolutely perfect on its own, it also makes an incredible accompaniment to a variety of dishes. Serve it alongside grilled meats and vegetables at your next BBQ, pair it with a fresh green salad for a light lunch, or offer it as an appetizer with a glass of crisp white wine. Its robust flavors also make it a fantastic companion to hearty stews or soups, soaking up all the delicious juices. No matter how you choose to enjoy it, this focaccia is guaranteed to impress.
We believe that bread should be as exciting and flavorful as any other component of your meal. This recipe ensures just that, transforming a simple bread into an unforgettable culinary experience. So, roll up your sleeves, embrace the joy of baking, and prepare to delight your taste buds with this incredible caramelized red onion and garlic butter focaccia.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Andréa
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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Frying pan
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Tea towel, slightly moist
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Plastic foil
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A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
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Baking tray
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Parchment paper
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Pastry brush
Ingredients
Focaccia
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 600 grams flour
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, extra vierge
- 60 grams butter , room temperature
- 210 ml lukewarm water
Topping
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion, in rings
- 4 tablespoons butter , room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic , chopped finely
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 15 grams fresh herbs , such as dill, basil, oregano, thyme and chives, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Caramelized Red Onion Topping
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Melt 1 tablespoon butter with ½ tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan.
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Add the sliced red onions and ¼ teaspoon of salt, then stir-fry over low heat until they become translucent and slightly caramelized. This process typically takes about 15 minutes.
Focaccia Dough Preparation
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In a small bowl, combine the yeast, honey, and lukewarm water. Stir gently.
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Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes. Check for bubbles forming on the surface, which indicates that the yeast is active. If no bubbles appear, discard the mixture and use a new packet of yeast.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the activated yeast mixture. Knead thoroughly for about 5 minutes.
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Next, incorporate the remaining salt into the dough and continue kneading for another 5 to 10 minutes until the dough becomes soft, pliable, and elastic. If the dough is overly sticky, gradually add small amounts of extra flour until it reaches the desired consistency.
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Lightly grease a clean bowl with olive oil. Place the kneaded dough in the bowl, turn it once to coat, then cover the bowl with a slightly damp tea towel and plastic foil to create a warm, humid environment.
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Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until it has visibly doubled in size.
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Gently remove the risen dough from the bowl and press out any trapped air.
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Flatten the dough into a rectangle, aiming for dimensions of approximately 20 cm wide and 10 cm long.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Lightly sprinkle the parchment paper with flour, then carefully place the shaped focaccia dough on top.
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Using your fingers, press dimples into the dough, about two-thirds of the way deep, being careful not to pierce all the way through.
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Cover the dough again with the slightly damp tea towel and plastic foil for its second rise.
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Allow the dough to rest and rise for an additional 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 230 degrees Celsius (450 degrees Fahrenheit). Remember to adjust if using a convection oven.
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Bake the focaccia for 15 minutes after the rest period. To check for doneness, carefully remove the bread from the oven and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it is baked through. If not, return it to the oven for another 5 minutes and check again.
Final Topping and Serving
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While the focaccia is still hot from the oven, mix the softened butter with the finely chopped garlic and sea salt. Generously brush this aromatic garlic butter over the entire top surface of the hot focaccia.
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Immediately scatter the fresh herbs, sea salt flakes, and the prepared caramelized red onions evenly over the top of the buttered bread. Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
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