Sage, Tomato and Caramelized Onion Focaccia Bread with Olive Oil Dipping Sauce

Oh my lawd this is good stuff. Make sure you have company over when you plan on making this otherwise a serious stomach ache is coming your way after you eat half the pan (or more). I love carbs.

Sage, Tomato and Caramelized Onion Focaccia Bread with Olive Oil Dipping Sauce

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus 1 hour 20 minutes inactive)
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes + 1 hour 20 minutes inactive
Yield: 24 large pieces or 48 small pieces

INGREDIENTS

For the Focaccia Bread

• 3 ½ cups warm water

• 5 ½ cups bread flour

• 2 tbsp active dry yeast

• ½ cup olive oil, divided

• 1 ½ tbsp sugar

• 1 ½ tbsp salt

• ¾ cup grated Fruliano cheese

• ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano

• ½ onion, caramelized

• 1 hothouse tomato, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons chopped sage

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Herbed Olive Oil

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ tsp dried rosemary

• ½ tsp red pepper flakes

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp dried basil

• ½ tsp onion powder

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (or balsamic vinegar)

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix 1 cup of water with the yeast and the sugar in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes until bubbly. If the mixture does not bubble it means your yeast is expired and you need to get new stuff. Mix in the remaining 2 ½ cups water with ¼ cup olive oil, salt and 3 cups of flour. If you have a electric stand mixer you can do this with the paddle attachment or you can simply use a wooden spoon and do it by hand. Gradually mix in the remainder of the flour. This dough is not your typical bread dough – it is much softer and runnier than you would expect. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm place for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Pour remaining ¼ cup of olive oil into a 12 x 17 sheet pan. This may seem like a lot of olive oil but it creates a nice crust on the bottom of the bread. Pour your dough into the pan and try your best to flip/move it around to coat the top and bottom of the dough. The dough will be very sticky so don’t be afraid to get your hands nice and oily to push it around to each corner of the pan. Top the dough evenly with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

While the focaccia is baking whisk together all ingredients for the dipping sauce together in a small bowl. Once you've removed the focaccia from the oven let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Dip in the olive oil mixture and enjoy! Makes 24 large pieces or 48 small pieces.