Caramelized Onion Gruyere Focaccia (French Onion Soup Style)

Caramelized Onion Gruyere Focaccia slices on a board.

5 from 2 votes

Caramelized Onion Gruyere Focaccia (French Onion Soup Style)

A fun spin on the classic focaccia, this French Onion Soup-inspired focaccia is an excellent appetizer or addition to a grazing board. This no-knead dough requires overnight proofing, which makes it tastier and easier to digest. The base recipe needs just 5 ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right now!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Proofing Time18

Total Time18 40

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: French, Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Slices

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $10

Equipment

9x13 Baking pan or large rimmed baking sheet - Affiliate link

Ingredients

For the Dough

4 cups All-purpose flour - 520 grams - Bread flour can be used
2 tsp Kosher salt - 10 grams
2 tsp Instant yeast - 7 grams
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil - 28 grams
2 cups Lukewarm water - 473 grams
Extra olive oil for drizzling

Caramelized Onions

3 tbsp Butter
4-5 White or yellow onions (thinly sliced)
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black pepper
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

For Baking and Dressing

1 tbsp Butter - For greasing the pan
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Gruyere cheese (cubed) - 150 grams
2 tsp Fresh thyme - From 3-4 sprigs

Instructions

Mix. To a large bowl, add 4 cups All-purpose flour, 2 tsp Kosher salt, 2 tsp Instant yeast, 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil and 2 cups Lukewarm water. Mix with a wooden spoon until all the flour is hydrated. The mix should be shaggy but not sloppy.
Rise. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting cover and refrigerate overnight for at least 18 hours.
Deflate. 2 hours before you want to bake the focaccia, take the bowl out of the fridge and uncover it. Using your hands deflate the dough slightly and transfer the dough to a buttered and oiled baking tray (9x13) or sheet pan.
Shape. Shape it loosely by grabbing each end and folding it over like you would a letter. Flip the dough over so the seams are on the bottom. Cover the tray with a tea towel and set aside for 1.5-2 hours.
Make Caramelized Onion. Set a non stick pan on medium heat and add 3 tbsp Butter. Once the butter has melted, add 4-5 White or yellow onions (thinly sliced), ¼ tsp Salt and ¼ tsp Black pepper. Keep stirring until the onions have softened (but not browned), about 4-6 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and continue to caramelize the onions for 30-40 minutes, or until the onions are soft and lightly browned. Add 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar, stir, and set aside to cool.
Dimple. Preheat your oven to 425F/220C. The dough should now have spread covering the surface of the baking tray. If not, you can help it stretch to the edges by carefully easing it to the corners. Drizzle more olive oil over the dough and start dimpling with your fingers, covering the entire surface. This creates valleys and mountains in the dough and you should also see air bubbles forming.
Dress. Nestle your caramelized onions, 1 cup Gruyere cheese (cubed) and 2 tsp Fresh thyme in the dough. Press the ingredients down.
Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Video

Notes

See the blog post above for detailed step-by-step recipe photos.

Ingredient notes:

Flour: This recipe uses 100% white all-purpose flour (unbleached preferred). However, feel free to sub in some whole wheat flour (up to 25% of the total flour amount).
Yeast: I like to use Instant yeast when making no knead bread, but dry active yeast will work just fine too. Just make sure to bloom it in the water for a few minutes before making the dough.
Olive Oil: It wouldn’t be a focaccia without olive oil. This recipe uses quite a bit of oil. You can reduce the amount slightly but keep in mind a traditional focaccia is supposed to be slightly oily. Good quality olive oil is a must.
Cheese: As this is a French onion soup inspired flavor profile, Gruyere cheese works best. I like it because it melts really well and has a nice flavor to it. It also caramelizes nicely in the oven. If you don’t have gruyere you can use a sharp white cheddar instead.
Onions: When making caramelized onions, use white or yellow onions. Don’t use red onions. The process takes time to make good quality caramelized onions, so take your time. It’ll make all the difference.

Some important tips:

Don’t Hurry the process. Allow the dough to rise in the fridge for at least 18 hours and you’ll need 2-4 hours for the second rise. The timing will depend on the temperature in your kitchen and how active the dough is. That being said, plan ahead!

Short on time? Make the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 6-8 minutes. Let the dough rise for 1 hour and then proceed with the preparation and baking steps (starting at step 3).

Nutrition