Pissaladiere

French onion tart

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Toppings

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Dry-aged mozzarella and parmesan cheeses
• Other toppings

Directions

Combine flour, salt, yeast, water, and oil in a large bowl. Mix with hands or a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. The bowl should be at least 4 to 6 times to volume of the dough to account for rising.

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, making sure that edges are well-sealed, then let rest on the countertop for at least 8 hours and up to 24. Dough should rise dramatically and fill bowl.

Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour, then transfer it to a well-floured work surface. Divide dough into two pieces and form each into a ball by holding it with well-floured hands and tucking the dough underneath itself, rotating it until it forms a tight ball.

Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of two 10-inch cast iron skillet or round cake pans. Place 1 ball of dough in each pan and turn to coat evenly with oil. Using a flat palm, press the dough around the pan, flattening it slightly and spreading oil around the entire bottom and edges of the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough sit at room temperature for two hours. After the first hour, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and turn the broiler to 475°F.

Heat the oil in a sauce pan and add the onion, herbs, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 30 minutes). Remove the bay leaf.

After two hours, dough should be mostly filling in the pan up to the edges. Use your fingertips to press it around until it fills in every corner, popping any large bubbles that appear. Lift up one edge of the dough to let any air bubbles underneath escape and repeat, moving around the dough until there are no air bubbles left underneath and the dough is evenly spread around the pan.

Bake the dough for 7-8 minutes, then remove from the oven. Spread the onions over the dough, place the tomato slices in a layer over the onions, then top with cheese. Place back in the oven and bake for another 7-8 minutes, until the crust is brown and cheese is melted.