Pissaladière
Description
Delicious baked dish for the whole family. Pissaladière is a dish originating from Southern France. It resembles pizza, but the dough is typically thicker than that of classic Italian pizza, and the traditional topping consists of sautéed onions, olives, garlic, and anchovies. Cheese is not used in this pizza. The key to a good pissaladière lies in the soft, caramelized onions. Traditionally, this pizza was prepared and served for breakfast, but today it is commonly served as an appetizer. Preparation: Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Cut the butter into several pieces and place in a large baking dish. Put the dish in the oven to melt the butter, about 5 minutes. Remove the dish and spread half of the roughly chopped onions over the melted butter. Tear the bay leaf into 2 or 3 pieces and sprinkle over the onions. Add 2 sprigs each of thyme and savory, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Repeat with the remaining onions, herbs, and olive oil. Return the dish to the oven and bake, stirring the onions every 10–15 minutes, until they turn light golden and reduce in volume by almost half, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and discard the bay leaf, thyme, and savory. Meanwhile, prepare the dough. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let stand for about 5 minutes. In a food processor, combine the yeast mixture, salt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 3 cups of flour until smooth. If the dough is too wet, gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. If too dry, add warm water. Process the dough until smooth and uniform, about 3–4 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic, about 4–5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down to remove air bubbles, cover with the towel again, and let rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 260°C (500°F) with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into a 32x47 cm (12.5x18.5 in) rectangle. Lightly flour a baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the sheet, shaping a slight rim around the edges. Spread the onion mixture evenly over the dough. Arrange anchovies and olives uniformly on top. Bake until the bottom and edges are lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with marjoram. Cut the pissaladière into rectangles about 7.5x8.5 cm (3x3.5 in) and serve warm or at room temperature. Serve cooled or slightly warm.