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.
