This cheeseless pizza is made with the staples of a southern French kitchen: olive oil, olives, onions, garlic, and the herb that gives the hills of Provence their heady fragrance—thyme. Don’t be fooled into thinking this onion pizza is sharp or bitter. The onions are caramelized and serve up a seductive blend of sweet and savory flavors that pair deliciously with dry rosé’s subtle fruit and tangy mineral notes.
In France, pissaladière is enjoyed as a snack or before a meal. Because it is equally good when hot or at room temperature, it makes a perfect appetizer when cut into small, easy-to-hold portions. But it also can be enjoyed as a main-course pie served in wedges or squares, eaten with a knife and fork and accompanied by a green salad.
For the dough:
1 envelope (21/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
11/4 cups warm water
1/2 cup high-gluten flour (see recipe introduction)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for the bowl and pans
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal for the work surface (optional)
For the Topping:
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
21/2 tablespoons dried thyme
8 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tins (6 ounces each) olive oil–packed anchovy fillets, drained
(optional)
20 to 30 Niçoise olives or Kalamata olives
To make the dough:
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast with 1 cup of the warm water.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the high-gluten flour. Add the 2 cups all-purpose
flour, the 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the salt. Stir with the wooden
spoon until a sticky dough begins to form on the bottom of the bowl. Add
the remaining 1/4 cup warm water and, using your hands, shape the dough
into a large ball.
• When your hands become too sticky with dough, dust them with a little
all-purpose flour. Continue kneading the dough in the bowl, pushing it
down with the heel of your hand, then pulling it together in a mound and
repeating until the dough becomes firm yet elastic, 4 to
5 minutes.
• Lightly oil the surface of a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set it in a reasonably warm room to rise for 2 hours. It should double in size. (Standard room temperature of 70°F is adequate. Cooler temperatures will delay the rising process.)
• Have ready two nonstick 12- to 14-inch round pizza
pans or two 9-by-13-inch baking pans. If you do not have nonstick pans,
oil each pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Lightly flour a work surface
or, for a crust with a crunchy exterior, dust it with cornmeal. Remove
the risen dough from the bowl, set it on the prepared surface, and cut
it in half.
(If not using the dough immediately, place each half in a separate lightly
oiled bowl. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator
for up to 8 hours. The dough will continue to rise somewhat, so use large
bowls. For longer storage, wrap the dough in plastic or place it in a
zippered plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months.)
• Using a rolling pin, roll out one dough portion to fit your pans and raise the entire edge of the crust with your thumbs to make a rim. Transfer to one of the pans. Repeat with the remaining dough portion and pan.
To make the
topping:
• In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over
medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme and stir for 30 seconds. Add the
onions, separating the slices with a wooden spoon and stirring so that
they are evenly coated with the oil, garlic, and thyme. Add the salt
and pepper and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring every 5
minutes until the onions are very soft and fairly translucent, about
20 minutes.
• While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 500°F.
• Spread the cooked onions evenly over the prepared pizza crusts. If using the anchovy fillets, arrange them on top in a diamond pattern. Dot with the olives. Bake until the rims of the crusts are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
makes two 12- to 14-inch pizzas