No-Knead Potato and Onion Focaccia
A wonderfully simple, hands-off focaccia with a deliciously crispy potato and sweet onion topping. The dough requires no kneading, just a few folds, resulting in a light and airy bread.
Serves: 6-8
Cost: $3.20 NZD (approx.)
Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (mostly inactive)
Ingredients
For the Dough:
400g plain flour
8g dried yeast
250ml warm water
30ml cooking oil
1 tsp salt
For the Topping:
1 large potato, very thinly sliced
2 medium brown onions, thinly sliced
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt
Method
In a large bowl, combine the warm water and dried yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes until frothy.
Add the flour, 30ml of cooking oil, and the salt to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a sticky, shaggy dough forms.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, perform a series of "folds": wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it over the centre. Repeat this around the entire bowl (about 4-5 folds). The dough will become smoother. Cover and rest for another 10 minutes.
Repeat the folding process one more time. After the second set of folds, cover the bowl and let the dough proof for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Prepare the toppings: While the dough proofs, place the thinly sliced potato in a bowl of cold water with a teaspoon of salt. Place the sliced onions in a separate bowl and toss with a generous pinch of salt.
Preheat your oven to 230°C. Pour a generous amount of olive oil onto a large baking tray (roughly 30cm x 40cm) and spread it around.
Gently tip the risen dough onto the oiled tray. Using oiled fingers, gently press and stretch the dough to fit the tray as much as possible (it's okay if it doesn't cover it completely at first; it will relax and spread).
Drain the potato slices and pat them dry with a clean tea towel. Arrange them in a single layer over one half of the focaccia. On the other half, spread the salted onions.
Drizzle the entire focaccia with more olive oil.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the focaccia is deep golden brown and crisp.
Let cool for a few minutes on the tray before slicing and serving.
Tips
Salting onions: Salting the onions draws out moisture and mellows their sharp flavour.
Potato prep: Soaking the potato slices removes excess starch, helping them crisp up in the oven.
Stretch gently: Handle the dough gently to keep as many air bubbles as possible for a light texture.
Customise: Add fresh rosemary, garlic, or other herbs before baking.
