The scent of pesto envelops you, while the sweet taste of onions marries perfectly with the more acidulous note of cherry tomatoes, here is the focaccia that welcomes summer, clear blue skies and shouts of joy on the beach. Perfect as lunch or dinner, accompanied by a nice seasonal salad, the focaccia with pesto, cherry tomatoes and caramelized onions will delight everyone, we are sure! And then the strength of this dish is that it is also a concentrate of health! The focaccia is made only with unrefined flours, the cooked tomato is a source of lycopene, a precious antioxidant and anticancer, while the onions provide mineral salts and are diuretic, thus helping to counteract water retention. Finally, basil fights inflammation. So, let's welcome summer and enjoy this beauty!
Ingredients
500 grams of semi wholegrain spelt flour
100 grams of wholegrain spelt flour
320 ml of lukewarm water
15 grams of fresh brewer's yeast
2 small red onions
2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce
thyme
100 grams of cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons of pesto, without garlic if you don't like the taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Preparing the focaccia
Dissolve the brewer's yeast in a glass with part of the water and mix. In a bowl, pour the flour and add the yeast dissolved in the water and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Stir and add the rest of the water. Knead with your hands. Incorporate a tablespoon of fine ground salt, continue to knead until you get a soft and homogeneous dough. If necessary, add water or flour as needed. Grease the dough and let it rise in a covered bowl for about two hours.
Preparation of the topping
In the meantime, prepare the topping of the focaccia. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and put them to rest in a bowl with a little extra virgin olive oil, half a teaspoon of soy sauce and thyme. Cut the onions into slightly thick slices. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the onions. Cook the onions for about ten minutes, stirring often. Pour two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar over the onions, mix and add a tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir again and continue cooking for ten minutes. Top with thyme leaves and set aside.
Last steps and cooking
Take the dough again. Roll out the dough, pulling it with your fingers, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and prick it with your fingers. Grease the dough by brushing the surface with the pesto diluted in 3-4 tablespoons of water. Distribute the cherry tomatoes and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. When there are 5 minutes left to cook, take the focaccia out of the oven, spread the onions on the surface and put it back in the oven to finish cooking. Serve with fresh basil leaves.
