Caramelized Onion Rosemary Focaccia Bread

[This post is sponsored by my wonderful friends at Bob’s Red Mill! We’re using their Organic Ivory Wheat Flour and their Unbleached All-Purpose Flour for this Caramelized Onion Rosemary Focaccia Bread.]

Oooh my goodness. I am so excited about today.

Because today, dear friends, is the day we venture into a completely unknown land here on Fooduzzi: gluten-full baking.

Up until today, every single recipe here on the blog was gluten free. Yep, for nearly three years Fooduzzi was a gluten free, plant-based mecca of deliciousness.

And it’s still going to be that plant-based mecca of deliciousness. But I’m really excited (like, dance around in my living room excited) to throw a gluten-y recipe atcha every once in a while.

You see, I switched to a gluten free diet a few years ago in college. And I’ve stayed completely true to that GF diet up until this year. And while I never really felt like I was missing out while on a gluten free diet, I’ve loved dipping into gluten-full land this year.

Gluten free baking is tough. We’ve done it successfully before, and I fully intend to do it successfully in the future.

That said, it’s tough to make a soft and pillowy bread gluten free without using a myriad of flours and gums. And honestly? I want to make baking delicious things as simple as I can.

So. For the best focaccia recipe I can possibly make with as little ingredients as possible? Gimme all dat gluten, plz.

Gluten-full bread has quickly become one of my favorite foods. Sourdough, all the crazy whole grain flour loaves from Whole Foods, a crusty baguette…I am currently obsessed with them all. And while it isn’t a food that I eat every day, I sure do cherish sinking my teeth into a loaf of gluteny bread when I do.

But while buying bread is fine and dandy, nothing (and I mean nothing) compares to freshly made bread.

Insert all the heart-eyed emojis here. The tantalizing smell, the warm doughiness…pulling freshly baked bread from your oven is one of the greatest pleasures in the world. Guaranteed.

And then when you add caramelized onion and fresh rosemary to the mix? Hubba. Hubba.

Baking bread has become one of my favorite activities, and I actually do it quite a bit. I found this Rosemary Focaccia Bread recipe from Gimme Some Oven, and I’ve made it multiple times, swapping flours and ingredients in and out each time.

Focaccia bread is one of my favorite breads to make at home. It’s naturally vegan, made with only a few ingredients, and so rich and chewy. It’s basically just flour, water, yeast, olive oil, and salt mixed together until stretchy, risen for 1 hour, and baked until tender perfection.

And because it requires so little ingredients, the quality of your ingredients really do make a difference. That’s why I was so excited to bake it up with Bob’s Red Mill.

You know I love Bob’s products, but this was the first time I’ve ever used one of their gluten-full products. And, unsurprisingly, they’re amazing. We’re actually using two of their flours today: Organic Ivory Wheat Flour and Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. Mostly Ivory Wheat with a bit of AP flour for extra chew.

OMG you guys. The Ivory Wheat Flour is a modern marvel. It’s a 100% whole wheat flour made from organic whole grain hard white wheat berries, but it’s light and airy. You know how whole wheat breads can be kind of…dry and non-exciting? BRM’s Ivory Wheat Flour totally does not have that issue. YAAAS to light and delicious whole grains!

As for flavor? Caramelized onion and rosemary. I love these flavors together SO much. Caramelized onions are chewy nuggets of sweetness, and the rosemary brings that herby freshness to the party. It’s amazing. Plus we drizzle the entire thing with a healthy glug or two of olive oil, and then top it with a nice sprinkle of kosher salt. IMO, salty bread is the best bread, so definitely don’t skip the sprinkle!

The texture? Amazing. A slight crust and a ridiculously chewy and tender interior.

The flavor? SO out-of-this-world good. Sweet, herby, salty, rich, and yum.

The feeling you’ll get after munching on a piece of your very own freshly-made Caramelized Onion Rosemary Focaccia Bread? Priceless.

Warm, carby love. Enjoy, friends!

Caramelized Onion Rosemary Focaccia Bread

From Fooduzzi at https://www.fooduzzi.com/2017/10/caramelized-onion-rosemary-focaccia-bread/

https://www.fooduzzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/caramelized-onion-rosemary-focaccia-8.jpg

Prep: 30m

Cook: 40m

Yield: 1 loaf

Total: 1h 10m

Tender, rich homemade bread made slightly sweet and herby. Naturally vegan, and the perfect accompaniment to an Italian feast!

You'll Need...

• The caramelized onions:
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• salt + pepper
• The bread:
• 1 and 1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
• 2 tsp. honey or raw cane sugar for vegans
• 1 pack active-dry yeast
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 tsp. flaky sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 and 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Organic Ivory Wheat Flour
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1-2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary*

Directions

1. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and onion, and then season with salt and pepper. Let the onions cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized (15-20 minutes). You want them soft and caramelized, not crispy and burned. Add a splash of water if the pan is looking a little dry. Allow your onions to cool completely before adding them to the dough.
2. Add warm water, honey, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Give the mixture a quick mix with a spoon, and allow it to sit until the yeast gets nice and foamy, 3-5 minutes.
3. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer. Turn the mixer on low, and add olive oil, salt, and both of your flours. After the mixture is almost all incorporated, turn your speed up to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes. The dough shouldn't stick to the sides or the bottom, and if it is, go ahead and decrease the speed, add a spoonful of Ivory Wheat Flour, let it incorporate, and turn the speed back up. During the last minute of the mixing, add your rosemary and caramelized onion.
4. Add your dough to a large bowl and cover with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes - 1 hour in a warm place.**
5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove your risen bread from its bowl and flatten it on a baking sheet (see photos). Cover with a piece of parchment paper and allow to rest for 20 additional minutes.
6. Remove the parchment paper. Using your fingers, make divots in the dough, pushing all the way to the baking sheet. You don't want complete holes, but you do want the divots to be deep. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil (the oil will settle in the little divots), and sprinkle with additional salt.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.
8. Remove from oven, and allow to cool slightly before slicing.

Additional Notes

*I'm a huge rosemary lover, so I opt for 2 tsp.+ here. Scale back if you're not the biggest fan, or switch it out for thyme.
**I like letting my bread rise in a warm microwave. I let the microwave run for about 2 minutes, turn the microwave off, and then put the bowl in the microwave and shut the door.
Adapted from Ali at Gimme Some Oven.

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A special thanks goes to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post! Check out more delicious healthy recipes, snag coupons, and find stores near you at BobsRedMill.com!

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