Pantry Pissaladière
Nicholas Day
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- one very large rectangle of onion-anchovy goodness
Improvisation encouraged! I sometimes add, very untraditionally, roasted or sautéed mushrooms. Also, about the dough: I've written the recipe with all bread flour, but I typically swap a third of that for spelt or white whole wheat flour. If you do, you'll need to add a couple tablespoons more water.
Ingredients
The Dough
- 2 1/3 cup bread flour (or 333 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch (or 6 grams)
- 1 cup lukewarm water (or 220 grams)
The Toppings (and the Topping)
- 3 large onions, sliced (about a couple of pounds worth, very roughly)
- 1 can of anchovies
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- Olive oil
- Fresh or dried thyme, a sprinkling
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Directions
The Dough
- Step 1
By hand: Mix all ingredients together just until combined. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes. Then knead it for about five minutes, or until it feels smooth and well-worked. Place the dough in an oiled mixing bowl and let it rise for between -- very roughly -- four to six hours. It will double in size, more or less.(You can also let it rise briefly and then refrigerate it for as long as several days; when you take it out, give it about two hours to come to room temperature.)
- Step 2
By stand mixer: Follow the directions above, using a dough hook for the initial mixing. For the kneading, run the mixer on medium speed for a couple of minutes. It should feel smooth and stretch nicely.
The Toppings (and the Topping)
- Step 1
Caramelize the onions: in a large saucepan over low heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and the onions. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally and adding a pinch of salt, for as long as you have, at least 40 minutes, until golden and sweet and soft.
- Step 2
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, preferably with a baking stone. (If you don't have a stone, bake the pizza on a baking sheet.)
- Step 3
When your dough is ready, stretch it on a lightly floured surface, gently tugging at the sides until it is almost the size of a baking sheet. (You can also divide the dough and make two smaller pizzas, of course.) If it resists, give it a brief respite, then resume. (If it really resists, let it dangle off the edge of the counter.) Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper
- Step 4
Very lightly coat the dough with olive oil and then spread the onions over the dough. Sprinkle with olives and a touch of thyme. Then lay the anchovies on top.
- Step 5
Slide the topped dough onto the pizza stone. It may take 10 minutes; it may take less. Watch it closely, and a couple of minutes before the end, switch the oven to broil to crisp and brown the toppings. Serve.