This French onion focaccia has a super crispy crust with a soft, pillowy center and is topped with sweet caramelized onions and gruyere cheese! It's perfect to serve with homemade French onion soup!
Jump to:
What is Focaccia?
Focaccia is a rustic Italian flatbread with a light, airy texture and crispy edges! It's similar to pizza dough but much thicker. Focaccia is known for its distinct dimpled top that can be stuffed with a variety of toppings.
It's super easy to customize by switching up the toppings for whatever you happen to be craving.
Focaccia has a simple yeasted dough that can be made the same day or left to rise overnight. I personally love letting the flavor develop in the fridge overnight, but if you're just really craving focaccia you can make it in about 3 hours total.
If you like this caramelized onion focaccia might also like this cast iron focaccia or this garlic rosemary focaccia!
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make this cheesy French onion focaccia!
Flour - Regular all purpose flour works great for this caramelized onion focaccia! However, if you can find it I like to use bread flour to help the focaccia have the best structure and texture. If using bread flour, reduce the total amount by 3 tablespoons of flour.
Instant Yeast - The yeast is what helps the dough rise! I like using instant yeast (as opposed to active dry yeast) because you don't need to bloom it first.
Sugar - You need a small amount of sugar to activate the yeast and help the focaccia rise. However, you can also substitute the same amount of honey.
Gruyere Cheese - Gruyere is one of my favorite types of cheese! It has a creamy, nutty flavor that just pairs beautifully with the caramelized onions! But this focaccia would be delicious with cheddar or gouda too! I also recommend using blocks of cheese and shredding it yourself as opposed to pre-shredded cheese because it melts better.
Caramelized Onions - Check out my post on homemade caramelized onions for all my tips and tricks!
Flaky Sea Salt - I always add flaky sea salt to the top of focaccia for both flavor and looks! I love using Maldon Flaky Sea Salt because it has the best flavor and texture.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Focaccia
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, water, sugar, instant yeast, and salt and mix on low until fully combined.
Knead on low for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (8-24 hours). The dough should roughly double in size.
Same day option: Instead of placing the dough in the fridge overnight, let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. Then proceed with the remaining steps.
The next day, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a 9x9 inch square pan. Place the dough on top of the oil and use your hands to gently stretch the dough to the edges of the pan. Cover the dough again and let rest at room temperature for 2-4 hours or until the dough is super light and airy.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil on top of the dough. Using your fingers, gently press straight down to create small dimples in the top of the focaccia dough.
Then top with the shredded gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, and fresh thyme. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt if desired.
Bake at 425°F for 20-30 minutes or until the focaccia is golden brown and the edges are crisp.
Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is designed for a 9x9 inch square pan but you can also use a 10 inch cast iron skillet! If you want to make focaccia for a crowd, just double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 inch cake pan.
This French onion focaccia is delicious to enjoy on its own or in place of bread in any meal!
Recipe FAQ's
Focaccia is best eaten the same day but will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. To reheat, bake at 350˚F for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Yes! Cut into slices, then wrap tightly then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and then reheat in the oven 350˚F for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Bread Recipes You Might Like!
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers.
Also be sure to add us as a trusted site on Google so that our recipes show up more in your searches!
For more delicious, scratch-made recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on social media!
Recipe Card
French Onion Focaccia
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Focaccia
- ½ cup caramelized onions
- 4 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, optional
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, water, sugar, instant yeast, and salt and mix on low until fully combined.
- Knead on low for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (8-24 hours). The dough should roughly double in size.
- Same day option: Instead of placing the dough in the fridge overnight, let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. Then proceed with the remaining steps.
- The next day, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a 9x9 inch square pan. Place the dough on top of the oil and use your hands to gently stretch the dough to the edges of the pan. Cover the dough again and let rest at room temperature for 2-4 hours or until the dough is super light and airy.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil on top of the dough. Using your fingers, gently press straight down to create small dimples in the top of the focaccia dough.
- Then top with the shredded gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, and fresh thyme. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Bake at 425°F for 20-30 minutes or until the focaccia is golden brown and the edges are crisp.
- Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Comments
No Comments