Focaccia recipe rises to the top

Published 5:30 am Thursday, August 13, 2026

In the last article I wrote, I included a phrase that has stuck with me all week. Not because I found it particularly lovely or profound, but because I feel like I’ve written it before. I know I’ve felt it before. The theme of my last short essay was a recurring experience, and likely a recurring topic in my writing. I have been sharing my heart with you all for long enough, I’m sure some patterns have become apparent. I wonder if I were to somehow track the mood of each article and create a visual representation, how clear the cycle of highs and lows might be.

My soul, like all of ours, has its place on the wheel of life. As it spins, we all must endure together the barrage of storms and the burning of the sun. What happens to the wheel in the moment happens to us all, and we experience the cosmic tilt together as we rush through space and time. We all must also ride the wheel in each of our own hearts as it carries us to an apex and drops us down with dizzying speed to the bottom again and again… or maybe that’s just me. Either way, I wonder what it’s like for you, the anonymous audience, to read how it feels for me to ride or duck each wave as it comes and chew on the experience like a bite of crusty bread.

This week, I chose to lean into the feelings of déjà vu and made a dish I know I’ve done before, although this recipe is new and improved. On June 9, 2021, my “Art of Focaccia” article was published with a picture of my rainbow heart in dappled sunlight. In the article, I wrote about my time in a high-volume commercial bakery and how I learned to create a dance out of repetition. It reminded me that my time on the wheel is not a ride, it’s performance art, and there is beauty in the highlights as well as the shadows, and great value in the negative space. No matter where we are in the cycle, the wheel will keep turning, as I have said before.

This focaccia recipe features roasted pearl onions and parmesan cheese and makes an outstanding sandwich with cured deli meats and plenty of pickled peppers.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups warm water

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp instant dry yeast

3 tsp salt

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 bag pearl onions

½ cup (or more) shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Stir together the water, sugar, and yeast and let sit for 10 minutes until bubbly.

Mix in 2 tbsp olive oil before adding the flour and salt.

Stir until there is no more dry flour. The mixture will be very wet and sticky — this is correct.

Cover and allow to rise until doubled, 1-2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

While the bread is rising, peel the pearl onions, toss them in a little oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast in a 400-degree oven, tossing frequently, until they are browned and soft. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

When the dough has doubled, use your greased fingers to fold the dough in on itself about 20 times.

Transfer to a liberally oiled 9×13 baking dish and spread it out to fill the dish.

Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cover the surface of the bread with the other 2 tbsp of oil, then spread the pearl onions out in an even layer on the surface.

Use your fingertips to create dimples all over the bread, being sure to push some of the onions down into the dough as you do.

Sprinkle on the parmesan and top with extra salt and pepper.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the center is springy and the top is brown.

Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.