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Caramelized Onion and Apple Focaccia

A focaccia topped with caramelized onions and sliced apples, finished with parmesan and cayenne.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Wheat and olive match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,100 recipes. Both carry 2-undecenal, which smells sweet. The science ↓

Caramelized Onion and Apple Focaccia

Oven425°F
Time25 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the dough

  1. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over 1/2 cup warm water. Let stand 5 minutes or until foamy.

  2. Stir in all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, 6 tablespoons Parmesan, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and cayenne pepper until blended.

  3. Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil and remaining 1 cup warm water until well combined.

  4. Transfer to lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

  5. Transfer dough to lightly oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand 1 hour in warm draft-free spot until doubled.

Caramelize the onions

  1. In a large non-stick Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over low heat.

  2. Add onions and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 hour or until onions are very soft and golden brown.

  3. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Shape and bake

  1. Punch dough down.

  2. Transfer to lightly oiled jelly-roll pan or large cookie sheet and pat dough out to a 15' by 11' rectangle.

  3. Cover and let stand 45 minutes or until puffed and well risen.

  4. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  5. Sprinkle apples, caramelized onions, and remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan over the dough.

  6. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

  7. Uncover and bake on lowest level of oven for 25 minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp.

  8. Cut into 20 pieces.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

878Calories
25 gProtein
23 gFat
144 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Apple1 medium (182g)95
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Cayenne1 tsp (1.8g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Wheat + olivetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,100 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).

  2. Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together29,779 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  3. Parmesan cheese + olivetop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,233 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).

  4. Flour + wheattop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,373 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  5. Olive + appletop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,565 recipes

    Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

All-purpose flour
Provides the gluten network that gives the focaccia its structure and chew.
Whole wheat flour
Adds a nuttier flavor and a denser, heartier crumb to the dough.
Yeast
Produces gas as it ferments, which makes the dough rise and become airy.
Spanish onions
Turn sweet, jammy and deeply browned when cooked slowly, adding depth to the topping.
Apples
Soften in the oven and add sweetness that contrasts with the savory onions and cheese.
Parmesan cheese
Adds salty, savory flavor and helps the top brown in the oven.

The step that matters

Caramelizing the onions over low heat. Onions need slow, gentle cooking so their natural sugars break down and brown evenly. Rushing with high heat can scorch the sugars before the onions soften, leaving bitter flavor.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, flour, wheat, parmesan cheese, olive, apple):

  1. Tomatofits better
  2. Sweet potatofits better
  3. Capsicumfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, flour, wheat, parmesan cheese, olive, apple. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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