The other day my church had a celebration that included a cookout with burgers. I helped with the preparation of the food and that included slicing onions and tomatoes. While I was slicing the tomatoes for the burgers, I placed the top slices of the tomatoes aside so I could take them home. The top slices had the stems in them so they were not going to be used for the burgers and I hated throwing them away as I knew that I could use them in my cooking. When the church event was over there was also leftovers of onion slices and tomato slices, so I took those home with me. One of the perks of helping in the church kitchen is being offered the leftovers.
I thought of sun-dried tomatoes
On the drive home from church, I decided to make sun-dried tomatoes with all the leftover tomato slices. This is my go-to recipe when I have an abundance of tomatoes as it is a great way to preserve them. I have a wonderful recipe for making sun-dried tomatoes in the oven that is so simple. I love tomatoes that are roasted in the oven as they are so flavorful and sweet. My favorite way to use oven-roasted tomatoes is on focaccia. I love using rosemary on my focaccia as it gives it a great flavor but my family is not too fond of the wood-like texture that rosemary has and the fact that the pieces tend to get stuck in your teeth. So I decided to use a Fused Rosemary Flavored Olive Oil. My favorite olive oil is made from fresh-picked rosemary leaves and has the full flavor of rosemary without the woodsy pieces. That way I get the taste of rosemary on my focaccia without upsetting my family. When my youngest saw this bottle of olive oil, he asked me if we could use it to make my Lemon Frosted Rosemary Holiday Sugar Cookies. That boy loves cookies and already is thinking of Christmas cookies. I told my son that since this olive oil has a light smooth flavor, it might be great for cookies.
Caramelized onions
Since I had an abundance of onions, I decide to make a batch of caramelized onions. Caramelized onions are also great to use in my recipes like pizza and focaccia. When onions are caramelized they last longer in the fridge so I would have plenty of time to use them in many recipes. I knew that my Secolari Rosemary Oil would be useful for sauteing all the onions and would give a unique flavor to my caramelized onions. Secolari makes so many gourmet Artisan oils that I know will add some intense flavor to my cooking. To me, quality olive oil is like a fine bottle of wine. Good olive oil equals the best flavor. So I don't skimp on that bottle of olive oil.
Focaccia is like a pizza
Focaccia is so similar to a pizza and is the perfect canvas to so many pizza toppings. So I decided that my homemade focaccia bread needed some olives. My favorite olives are black olives and green ripe California olives. I always have a can or two of these delicious olives in my pantry for snacking or for recipes. I knew that that the jumbo ripe black olives would add some additional flavor to my chewy focaccia. So I sliced the black olives in half. You can slice the olives anyway you like for this recipe but I thought that halved olives would give this homemade bread a cool look. If you like pizza, you need to make my Wild Mushroom Pizza With Caramelized Onions.
Fused vs infused olive oil
An infused oil is when the flavor or extracts are added after the oil is pressed which causes the oil to breakdown faster. When olives and fresh-picked rosemary are fused, cold-pressed, together at the same time, the result is a better quality flavorful olive oil.
Kneading dough is so relaxing
I love kneading dough and find it to be so relaxing. It takes away any stress if I have any, but I really just enjoy the way it feels in my hands. I love making homemade bread and pizza when the weather cools down as the oven heats up the house. The smell of fresh-baked bread is a pleasing aroma that I also love. Have you ever walked past a bakery when they are making bread? It is one of the best smells in the world. The smell of bread baking in the oven is so intoxicating! Fall is the perfect time to make my homemade pretzel bread or honey whole wheat bread for sandwiches.
Once the dough rises, press it to fit a 13×9 inch lightly oiled baking pan. Dimple the dough all over with your fingers and drizzle with the fuse Rosemary Olive Oil. Add the topping and press them gently into the dough. I love the art of making bread. To bring out the taste of the garden-fresh ingredients, sprinkle the focaccia lightly with some sea salt.
Bake until golden brown then transfer to a rack to cool
Yield: 12
Rosemary and Caramelized Onion Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia
Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread product similar in style and texture to pizza dough.
prep time: cook time: total time:
ingredients:
- 1 Package Dry Yeast
- 1 Cup Warm Water, 110°F – 115°F
- 1 Teaspoon Honey
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil, I love using Rosemary Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion, thinly sliced and chopped into small pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, for cooking the caramelized onions
- 1/2 Cup Sundried Tomatoes
- 1 Cup Black Olives, pitted and sliced into half or quarters
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil divided in half for drizzling over the dough
instructions:
How to cook Rosemary and Caramelized Onion Sun Dried Tomato Focaccia
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and honey. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow it to stand for about 5-10 minutes or until foamy.
- When the yeast is ready, stir in the flour, 1/4 cup olive oil, and salt. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until dough is smooth 5 to 10 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour
- While the dough is rising, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion slices and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently about 20 minutes.
- After the dough has doubled in size, remove dough from bowl and press it into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking sheet until it touches the edges. Using your finger, poke holes all over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly press the sundried tomato slices and olive slices into the dough. Sprinkle or press the caramelized onions into the dough. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the toppings and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Cut into pieces and serve.
Calories
315.47
315.47
Fat (grams)
18.42
18.42
Sat. Fat (grams)
4.07
4.07
Carbs (grams)
34.11
34.11
Fiber (grams)
2.06
2.06
Net carbs
32.05
32.05
Sugar (grams)
2.28
2.28
Protein (grams)
4.06
4.06
Sodium (milligrams)
231.96
231.96
Cholesterol (grams)
1.91
1.91
