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French Onion Sourdough Focaccia cut in squares ans stacked on a wooden board.

French Onion Sourdough Focaccia

Few things smell more comforting than the cosy flavour of French onion soup — slow-cooked onions, melty cheese, and a whisper of thyme — now imagine that wrapped in the soft, pillowy crumb of an airy sourdough focaccia bread recipe. French Onion Sourdough Focaccia combines everything we love about long-fermented doughs and savoury bakes: deep caramelised sweetness, crisp golden edges, and that unmistakable sourdough depth. It’s the kind of bake that instantly transports your kitchen to its happiest, warmest place.
5 from 10 votes
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Prep Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
18 hours
Total Time 22 hours 20 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine French, Fusion, Italian, Sourdough
Servings 8 -9 portions
Calories 266 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Sourdough Focaccia

  • 260 g strong bread flour with at least 12% protein content
  • 190 ml water
  • 110 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
  • 5 g salt
  • 25 ml olive oil

Caramelised Onions

  • 40 g unsalted butter
  • 4 small brown/ yellow onions (300g - 11oz) thinly sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Extra Toppings

  • 75 g Gruyere or Comte cheese cubed
  • 2-3 sprigs rosemary or thyme leaves stripped, stalks discarded

Instructions
 

DAY 1

  • First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter and leave it in a warm spot to at least double in volume. We typically feed our starter in a ratio of 1 part starter: 1 part water: 1 part flour, and it doubles (or even triples) within 4 hours.

Fermentolyse and Mixing The Dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, water and active sourdough starter. Mix the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment for a few minutes on low speed, until the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave the dough to fermentolyse (a type of sourdough autolyse where sourdough starter is added too) for an hour.
  • After an hour, scatter the salt on top of the dough. Drizzle the olive oil all over, and using your hands, squish the salt and oil into the dough, aiming to distribute it evenly.
  • TIP: Don’t be tempted to just mix the oil in by running the stand mixer - the dough will split, separated by oil layers.
  • Once incorporated, run your mixer on medium speed for 10-12 minutes, until you have a very smooth and elastic dough. It will be wet, but should start gathering around the dough hook attachment.

Coil Folds, Bulk Fermentation, Cold Proof

  • Scoop the dough into a lightly oiled bowl (we like to use a heavy shallow dish - it helps with coil folds later). Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or cling film (plastic wrap) and leave it in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
  • Over the next 3 hours, at 30-minute intervals, perform a set of coil folds, using wet hands.
  • After all 6 sets of coil folds are completed, cover the dough and let it finish its bulk fermentation undisturbed for 1.5-3 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
  • Place the dough in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours (or simply overnight).

DAY 2

  • The next day, line a baking tray (approx 24x24cm) with parchment paper.

Second Rise

  • Take the dough out of the fridge and very carefully transfer it into the prepared baking tray, trying not to deflate it too much. Stretch it out into the corners of the baking dish.
  • Cover it again and leave it in a warm spot to proof for another 1-2 hours. It will increase in volume, puff up and have very noticeable blisters across the surface.

Make Caramelised Onions

  • Heat butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add the thinly sliced onions, salt and pepper.
  • Stir the onions over medium heat for 5 minutes, until just starting to soften.
  • Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking the onions for another 25-30 minutes until very soft and browned.
  • Finally, stir in the balsamic vinegar, take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool down.

Topping and Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
  • Spread caramelised onions, cubed cheese and herbs across the surface of the dough.
  • Oil your fingers and dimple the toppings into the dough, pressing deep down to the base of the pan.
  • Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes. Cool it for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Best enjoyed slightly warm or at room temperature on the day it is baked.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 9gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 409mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 245IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 0.5mg
Keyword French Onion Sourdough Focaccia, Onion Sourdough Focaccia, Sourdough Focaccia With Caramelized Onions
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