Focaccia con le cipolle (caramelised onion focaccia)

Instructions

1. To make the dough, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and stand for 5 minutes to froth up. Add the sugar and mix well. Put the flour in a large bowl, pour in the yeast mixture and start mixing with a wooden spoon. Add the olive oil and salt and mix into a rough dough. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1–1½ hours until almost doubled in size.
   
2. Stretch the dough with wet hands (still in the bowl, no mess) and fold the top and bottom thirds into the centre, like folding a letter. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove at room temperature for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
   
3. Transfer the dough to a well-oiled 40 cm × 30 cm baking dish and leave for another 30 minutes at room temperature or until airy, puffy and risen by one-third. Using oiled hands, gently push out the dough to cover the base of the dish, then dimple the surface with your fingertips.
   
4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat. Add the onion, thyme and salt, reduce the heat to medium–low and cook, stirring gently, for 8–10 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the sugar and vinegar and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 10 minutes until the onion is meltingly soft and caramelised. Set aside.
   
5. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
   
6. Spoon the caramelised onion over the focaccia and bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and puffy. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and eating.