Focaccia con Cipolla e Rosmarino

Focaccia con cipolla e rosmarino combines the two cheapest focaccia toppings in a single batch. The caramelised onion provides sweetness and body; the rosemary adds aromatic punctuation without additional cost. Six servings at approximately €0.27 per serving — slightly above focaccia cipolla (€0.26) by the 5g rosemary cost alone.

Ingredients (6 servings)

• 500g Type 00 flour (farina 00)
• 7g fresh yeast (lievito di birra)
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for the pan)
• 300g yellow onion (2 medium onions), thinly sliced
• 5g fresh rosemary, needles stripped from stems
• 8g salt
• 300ml warm water

Instructions

1. Make the dough Dissolve the yeast in 300ml warm water. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the yeast water and half the olive oil. Mix until combined, then knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.

2. Caramelise the onion While the dough rests, heat a thin film of oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt. Cook 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Remove from heat and stir in the rosemary needles off the heat — they will perfume the onion without burning.

3. Shape and second rest Oil a 30×40cm baking tray. Press the dough into the tray, stretching to fill. If it springs back, cover and rest 5 minutes before trying again. Drizzle with the remaining oil. Cover and rest 20 minutes.

4. Dimple and top Preheat oven to 220°C. Make deep dimples across the surface. Spread the caramelised onion and rosemary mixture evenly over the top.

5. Bake Bake 20–25 minutes until golden on top and crisp underneath. Remove from tray immediately and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Adding rosemary to the caramelised onion off the heat (step 2) rather than on top of the focaccia prevents the needles from burning in the oven. The residual heat from the pan is enough to release the oils.

For a simpler version with onion only, see focaccia cipolla. For rosemary without onion, see focaccia rosmarino. The dough technique is identical across all three.

Cost Context

At Italian supermarket prices (Q1 2025): farina-00 (€1.00/kg), lievito-di-birra (€7.00/kg), olio-extravergine-oliva (€9.50/L), cipolla (€1.50/kg), rosmarino (€10.00/kg).

Ingredient	Quantity	Cost
Farina 00	500g	€0.50
Lievito di birra	7g	€0.05
Olio EVO	60ml	€0.57
Cipolla	300g	€0.45
Rosmarino	5g	€0.05
Total		€1.62

Six servings at €0.27 per serving. HIGH confidence — all 5 ingredients priced from the Q1 2025 dataset.

Olive oil (€0.57) is the dominant cost at 35% of the total batch. Onion (€0.45) contributes 28%. Flour (€0.50) adds 31%. The rosemary costs €0.05 for the entire batch.

Use the Recipe Cost Calculator for an itemised breakdown and to adjust serving count.