Recipe - Onion And Olive Focaccia

3 One fourth cup Bread flour or allpurpose;
flour (up to 33/4)
1 pack Active dry yeast
1 One fourth cup Warm water;, (120130
degrees)
1 tablespoon Olive oil or cooking oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 One half cup Chopped onion;, (3 medium)
2 Cloves garlic;, minced
2 tablespoon Olive oil or cooking oil
1 cup Sliced pitted ripe olives;
snipped and/or oilpacked
dried tomatoes, drained;,
(optional)
2 tablespoon Snipped fresh rosemary or 2
teaspoons dried rosemary,
crushed

In a large mixing bowl stir together 1 One fourth cups of the flour and the yeast.
Add warm water, 1 tablespoon oil, and the salt to the dry mixture. Beat
with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping
sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much
of the remaining flour as you can. Turn dough onto a lightly floured
surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is
smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place
in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover and let rise in a warm place
till double (about 1 hour). Punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured
surface. Divide in half. Shape each into a ball. Place on 2 lightly greased
baking sheets. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. For the topping: in a
medium skillet cook onion and garlic in the 2 tablespoons oil, covered,
over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or till onion id translucent, stirring
occasionally. Uncover, cook and stir just till onion begins to brown.
Remove from heat. If using olives, stir into onion mixture; set aside.
Using your hands; flatten each ball into a circle about 12 inches in
diameter. With your fingers, press 1/2inch deep indentations about 2
inches apart on surface. Spoon onion mixture on top. Sprinkle with
rosemary. Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 20
minutes). Bake in a 375 oven about 25 minutes or till golden. If using
dried tomatoes, sprinkle atop bread during last 5 minutes of baking. Remove
from baking sheet; cool on wire racks. Makes 2 rounds (24 servings).

VARIATIONS: BLUE CHEESE AND WALNUT FOCACCIA Prepare as directed, except
omit the onion, garlic, olives, tomatoes, and rosemary. Instead, brush
shaped dough with the 2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil. Sprinkle with
1 One half cups chopped walnuts and 1 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded Swiss
cheese. Continue as directed.

Recipe by: BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 1996 Posted to
MCRecipe Digest V1 #677 by essie49@juno.com (Ethel R Snyder) on Jul 17,
1997