Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 1/4-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour
- 5 tsp. salt
- 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
- 1–2 Tbsp vegan butter, plus more for pan
- Flaky sea salt
Topping:
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 2 tsp white sugar
Instructions
- Whisk one ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), 2 tsp. sugar, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again—check the expiration date!)
- Add 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour and 5 tsp. salt and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
- Pour 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. If you’re in a rush, you can also let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours.
- Make the onions:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter. When hot, add the onions and sugar. After about 15 minutes add the thyme. Cook until the onions are softened (about 20 minutes). Heat on low and try to make the sliced onions not so thin as they’ll cook faster in the oven and be more likely to burn.
- Generously butter a 13×9″ baking pan, for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, or an 18×13″ rimmed baking sheet, for focaccia that’s thinner, crispier, and great for snacking. Pour 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into center of pan. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl like your folding in. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball.
- Transfer dough to the prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (on top of preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready. (If at this point the dough is ready to bake but you aren’t, you can chill it up to 1 hour.)
- Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you probably won’t need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, like you’re aggressively playing the piano, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan).
- Spread the onion mixture all over the bread making sure they are evenly distributed. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes. If your onions start to get crispy simply throw on a foil tent. Garnish with additional fresh thyme.
- Prep Time: 8 hrs
- Cook Time: 20 mins