How to make focaccia with pancetta, caramelised onions and rosemary – an easy, no-knead bread
- The bread can be made from start to finish in a matter of hours – most of it resting time
- The recipe is easily adapted to add cheese, cherry tomatoes or leave it plain
I know I’m not the only one who got into baking sourdough during the pandemic. But I’ve been making easy bread long before that – the type that relies on commercial yeast – and, in particular, focaccia. The basic recipe is one that I found in No Need to Knead (1999), by Suzanne Dunaway, who was advocating the no-knead method years before it became fashionable.
I’ve slightly adapted the recipe over the years, and now use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast, which needs to be soaked in warm water until it becomes foamy before use. With instant yeast, most recipes have you add it to the flour and other dry ingredients before adding the liquid. I like to mix the yeast into the water right before adding the dry ingredients, just to start to dissolve it.
Focaccia with pancetta, caramelised onions and rosemary
I occasionally make plain focaccia, which I top with flakes of sea salt, usually Maldon – this makes a great panini. Sometimes I add grated cheese and black pepper, or halved cherry tomatoes, salt and oregano. This recipe uses pancetta and lightly caramelised onions, and is a delicious accompaniment to a hearty dish.
The bread can be made from start to finish in just a few hours – most of it resting time, but I prefer to give the dough a slow, overnight rise in the fridge.
450ml lukewarm water (35 degrees Celsius)
1 ½ tsp instant yeast
550 grams plain (all-purpose) flour or bread flour
1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
About 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
500 grams onions, peeled
200 grams pancetta, sliced about 5mm thick
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Rough-flaked sea salt, for sprinkling
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Use some of the olive oil to liberally grease a large bowl.
2 Pour the water into another bowl, add the yeast and stir briefly.
3 Add the flour to the water and yeast, sprinkle with the salt and mix vigorously. The dough will be very moist and sticky, which is how it should be.
4 Use a dough scraper to transfer the dough into the oiled bowl. Drizzle more oil on top and rub it in with your hand so the dough is well coated.
5 Tightly cover the bowl with cling-film and let it rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size. Punch down the dough to deflate it and cover the bowl again with cling-film. Place in the fridge for several hours, or overnight.
6 Thinly slice the onions. Heat about 30ml of oil in a skillet, add the onions and cook over a low flame until soft and pale golden, for about 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
7 Cut the pancetta into 5mm thick strips. Heat 10ml of olive oil in a skillet, add the pancetta and cook over a low-medium flame until soft but not brown. Cool to room temperature.
8 Let the dough come to room temperature before baking it. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
9 Use the olive oil to liberally coat one or two baking pans: I use two pans that are about 20cm x 28cm. You can also use one large pan (such as an oven tray) and make the dough into free-form focaccia.
10 With an oiled hand, transfer the dough to the pan(s). Press and stretch the dough so it fits the pans (if you’re using two) or is about 1cm thick (for one large focaccia).
11 Pour more oil over the dough to liberally coat the dough. Use your fingertips to dimple the entire surface of the dough, pressing all the way down to the pan.
12 Spread the onions over the dough and add the pancetta. Break the rosemary sprigs into small pieces and scatter them on top. Sprinkle with some rough-flaked sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
13 Put the pan(s) in the oven (no need to let it rise first). Bake until the focaccia is fragrant, golden brown and firm to the touch. If the onions at the edge of the focaccia start to burn at the edges, place strips of aluminium foil over them.
14 Cool the bread before slicing it into squares or rectangles.