Onion-Rosemary Focaccia

I can't believe I'm going to admit this, but...

I didn't realize today was Fat Tuesday.

Soooo, yeah. While I scrounge around my kitchen to see if I have the fixings for some deliciously sinful and thoroughly fattening dessert to make with my boys this afternoon, I'll leave to you with another way to use up all that fabulous bulk pizza dough.

Onion-Rosemary Focaccia
Recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Prep time: 30 minutes   Bake Time: 30 minutes

1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp for drizzling
1 lb (about grapefruit-sized) Olive Oil Dough, or another preferred bread dough.
3/4 tsp dried rosemary, OR 1 1/2 tsp fresh
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion slices in 2 tbsp of EVOO until softened, but not browned. Set aside.

Don't fully cook these here or you'll have extra burnt onions on your focaccia.

2. Prepare a cookie sheet either with parchment paper, nonstick spray, or some EVOO so the bread won't stick. Set aside.

3. If working with a large container of dough, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1lb piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.

There are two pounds of dough left in my tub. Half of this...

...makes one cute little ball!

4. Flatten the dough into a 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick round, using your hands. Place the round on the prepared cookie sheet, and poke the surface with your fingers, creating dimples.

Those are adorable little two-year-old dimples on this dough.
Kieran will eat this dough raw if I don't watch him too.

5. Spread the softened onions sparingly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1 inch border at the edge. Allow the majority of the dough to show through the onion as bare dough (you may have leftover onion; that's ok!). Sprinkle with rosemary, coarse salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Finish with a light drizzle of EVOO.

Sprinkle on your fixings! But don't go nuts: less is more.

6. Allow the focaccia to rest and rise for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425, with an empty broiler tray on the bottom rack, while the dough rests.

7. Place the cookie sheet on a rack placed in the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and close the door quickly. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is medium brown. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Golden. Beautiful. Wondrous.

I love this bread. My Picky Eater loves this bread (with the onions picked off). My two year-old loves to help me make this bread. It's that awesome, and that easy! The secret to it's fabulous-ness is the pre-made dough. And honestly, it doesn't matter to me if you use the dough recipe that I like, or you pick something up from your grocer's freezer. Whatever you like to use is totally fine! I love how adding a few savory toppings totally takes this from plain ol' dough to a bread worthy of any fantastic Italian dish. Or as an appetizer, with cheese and fresh fruit, at a cocktail party!

You could even take leftover wedges and crumble a little goat cheese on top to munch on while watching that movie you've been dying to see after the kiddos go to bed. ;) Oh the possibilities...