Focaccia Bread with Onions, Bacon and Smoked Gruyere

I have a few more soup recipes coming your way this winter, but first, we need some bread to go with all that soup. I especially like making focaccia bread. This is really easy if you have a bread machine that can process the dough for you. 

Focaccia is great because you can customize it to what you like, and what you have on hand. For this version, I was trying to use up some of the vast amounts of Christmas cheese... we had this wonderful smoked gruyere and I knew it would be a great topping. (I also have a previous recipe here for an herbed version and a Greek version...)

            

    

Here's a few steps to show you after your dough is processed and has risen. Spread it out into a pan (you can use a 9x13 for thicker bread - especially good if you're going to use it for sandwiches, or a "bar" pan - this one is 10x15 for a little thinner bread) then make the indents with your finger. 

Do a brief second rise, (I use my oven on bread proof setting for this) and then re-do the indents and brush with olive oil. 

Next add the toppings. For focaccia, there's really no such thing as too much topping. You want to have quite a bit to add flavor to the bread. So for this, I sauteed red onions and then added finely chopped bacon and then the cheese.

Here's the bread after it's baked.

Look at that those beautiful toppings!

This is great with soups or salad, or as a base for sandwiches. Enjoy!

Focaccia Bread with Onions, Bacon and Smoked Gruyere

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 cup shredded smoked Gruyere

3 slices bacon, diced

olive oil, for brushing

coarse salt 

Combine the first six ingredients in a bread machine pan in the order recommended by your bread-maker manufacturer. Set the machine for the dough setting and turn on. 

When the dough is processed, remove from the bread pan with lightly oiled hands. Press into a greased 9x13 pan or 10x15 pan and make indentations with your finger, about every inch. Cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. (If your oven has a "bread proofing" setting, that is perfect.)

For the topping, saute the bacon over medium heat until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon. If you want, you can chop it even more finely after it cools. In the same skillet, saute the onion over medium heat in the bacon grease for 8-10 minutes or until it is slightly carmelized.

After the bread has risen, remove the towel, then re-do the indentations, since they will have disappeared a bit . Brush the dough lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with some coarse salt, then place the cooked onion over the dough. Sprinkle on the bacon, then the cheese.

Bake the bread at 400 for 20 minutes or until done.