Delicious Onion Focaccia!

The other day I was in a "soup-making" mood.......the hardest question at times like this is "WHICH SOUP?!!" I decided on my mom's famous zucchini soup. It's one of those soups that I feel good about serving - it's LOADED with veggies; it's hardy; it freezes well; and....best of all.......it is amazingly delicious! I always get requests for the recipe. Oh, and one other great thing about this recipe: it makes a LOT of soup! Which, in this case, was good..... 

That day, my daughter and son-in-law were heading back to their home in Columbus after an extended visit here. They had stopped earlier in the day to say goodbye, but were going to make a few other stops before their departure. While I was bringing the soup to a boil, it occurred to me that they might enjoy taking some home. A quick phone call confirmed my suspicions, and they were soon knocking at the door for a half-gallon of soup and a loaf of bread to take home. That afternoon, my eldest daughter called, asking me to babysit her girls while she and her husband attended a meeting. I , of course, said "Sure!!" The soup was simmering and the onions were being sauteed for the focaccia as they arrived.....I didn't let Kate leave until I invited her family to dinner after their meeting. She gratefully accepted and we enjoyed a hearty meal together a few hours later. Even after they left, I had enough soup to freeze. That will be going to my dear friend who recently lost her hubby.  

Well, after all that, I should probably be giving you the recipe for the soup! But I must tell you, the focaccia was fabulous! My husband took a bite of it that night and said, "Why haven't I tasted this bread before?! This is awesome!"  So the moral of this story is: Make a vat of your favorite soup, make this focaccia as an accompaniment and then share it!  ENJOY!!! 

Onion Focaccia

2 medium onions, divided

2 ½  tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for bowl and pan

1 garlic clove, minced

2  teaspoons salt, divided

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

½  cup milk, warmed

½ cup warm water

1 teaspoons sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

Finely chop 1 onion. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp. olive oil, the chopped onion, garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Set aside to cool. Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients, including cooled fried onions .  EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, halve and thinly slice remaining onion. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add remaining  olive oil, the onions, and remaining  salt. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft and beginning to turn translucent. Set aside. When dough has risen, remove from the bucket and press lightly into a 12” greased pizza pan (or similar size pan) . Preheat oven to 450°. Using your fingers, poke holes straight down into the risen dough. Spread cooked onion mixture evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. (You may also sprinkle a little grated parmesan on the top, if desired)  Bake until golden, 20-30  minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from Sunset Magazine 

Delicious Onion Focaccia!