Black Olive Focaccia with Red Onion
A golden, pillowy focaccia generously topped with sweet red onion, briny black olives and flaky sea salt, a Mediterranean-inspired bread to share.
There is definitely an element of love in this dish…(those turns with the EVOO should really take all day!) but it is not difficult to do and the results are spectacular. It feeds an absolute houseful of guests and I have to say if there are any leftovers, you should call it a miracle. People just go back in for more and more. It is perfect for vegans and non-vegans alike and first appeared in the Accidentally Vegan chapter of The Weekend Table...go get it for more recipes that just accidentally happen to be vegan!
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm alongside a bowl of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.
Pair with antipasto, cured meats and artisan cheeses for an impressive grazing board.
Enjoy with hearty soups such as tomato basil, minestrone or pumpkin soup.
Slice horizontally and use for gourmet sandwiches filled with mozzarella, prosciutto and rocket.
Serve alongside roasted meats or roast chicken at a weekend barbecue.
Accompany pasta dishes or lasagne as the perfect side.
Toast leftover slices and top with ricotta, confit tomatoes and fresh basil.
Enjoy warm straight from the oven with butter or a drizzle of fruity olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Need
- 500 Grams bakers or strong flour BUY
- 10 Grams pink salt flakes plus some more for garnish BUY
- 1 Teaspoon dried active yeast
- 400 Grams water
- 40 Grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) plus loads more for kneading BUY
- fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 Handful black or kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/2 red onion thinly shaved
Do
- 1
Place the flour and salt into the Thermomix bowl and blend 5 sec/speed 5.
- 2
Add yeast and water and knead 4 min/dough setting/Interval.
- 3
Pour the EVOO into a large bowl and tip the dough out on top. Using a silicone spatula, turn the dough by folding in from the edges, bringing some of the EVOO into the dough as you fold.
- 4
Cover with cling film and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this process at least 4 times. The oil will incorporate into the dough, but not fully. This is OK.
- 5
After the final fold, move the bowl to the fridge for at least 10 minutes.
- 6
Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F and lightly oil a cast iron dish of significant proportions. Mine is approximately 50 cm across. Obviously if you are going with a rectangle the dimensions will vary.
- 7
Push the dough into the tray and massage the oil into the surface of the dough, dimpling it with your fingers.
- 8
Top with a few salt flakes, the herbs, olives and onion slices, pushing them into the dough slightly. Be generous, be abundant. The more, the better. Drizzle the whole thing with more EVOO and leave uncovered to rise for another 30 minutes. Before placing into the oven sprinkle generously with more salt flakes.
- 9
Bake 20 minutes and then add a grill function to your oven at 250°C/480°F. Toast the top for around 4-5 minutes, keep an eye on it, you want it to be crunchy and golden.
- 10
Serve hot.
Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of nine, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.
Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once!
