Potato Focaccia

One of my favorite things to bake is bread. I love kneading the dough, watching it rise, and the smell as it bakes in the oven. I also love to find new recipes for bread, just to keep things interesting, so I was very excited when I found this recipe for potato focaccia. However, as I read this recipe I realized it was only half finished! There was no instructions for cook time or temperature. So, I figured it out and it turned out great.

Not only is there a potato in the dough which results in a very moist and airy bread, the top has layers of thinly sliced potatoes and caramelized onions. This is a delicious bread that pairs perfectly with soups or salads. It's flavorful on its own, or as an accompaniment to any main course.

Ingredients
Adapted from Epicurious

1 Tbs active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp table salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups bread flour or as needed
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 medium sized russet potato
3 small sized red potatoes
5 cloves garlic, roasted
Kosher salt for sprinkling

Directions
Peel russet potato and boil until soft. Mash or push through a potato ricer (I pushed the potato through a fine meshed sieve with a spoon which worked great) and set aside. In large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar over 1/2 cup of the water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Add the remaining water and sugar, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, table salt and 1 cup of the flour. Beat with the paddle attachment until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the potato and 1/2 cup of flour and beat for about 2 minutes. Stir in the diced onions. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Remove the paddle attachment and replaced with the dough hook. Knead dough for about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft, moist and somewhat sticky. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for about an hour, until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, in a medium pan over medium low heat, add about 2 tbsp. olive oil until hot. Add sliced onion to pan as well as a hefty pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, on low until caramelized, about 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle onions with about 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, stir and set aside.

Spray a heavy cookie sheet with non stick spray. With oiled fingers, flatten and press the dough into a rectangular or oval shape approximately 1 inch thick. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for another hour. With oiled fingers, flatten and press the dough a second time until about 1 inch thick. Make deep indentions 1 inch apart and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with towel and let rest 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Thinly slice red potatoes. Lay out potatoes on dough in 3 rows, and sprinkle on caramelized onions and roasted garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until light golden brown. If the onions and garlic are browing up too quickly, cover the pan very loosely with foil. Remove from oven, cut and serve hot.