Saturday, March 20, 2010

Red Onion & Gorgonzola Flatbread

My good friend Patty has had this recipe hanging on her fridge forever, so I decided to go ahead and make it. We both almost fell over because it tasted so amazing! We had such a fun time together in the kitchen rolling out the dough, caramelizing the onions and sipping on champagne! We made this as an appetizer, but could have easily eaten it for dinner. I changed the recipe a bit from the original, by adding more rosemary, caramelizing the onions first, and also making one large sheet pan of flat bread versus the individual rounds the original recipe called for. I might even be really bad and add some crumbled bacon to this dish next time I make it!
Original recipe from "Sunset Magazine, 2007"

Red Onion and Gorgonzola Flatbread

1 Package Active Dry Yeast
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Semolina Flour
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Large Red Onion
2 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves, minced
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
6 Ounces Gorgonzola Cheese, crumbled

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water (about 100 degrees). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flours 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1 teaspoons salt. (Dough will be stiff.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place to rise until 1 1/2 times its original volume, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cut the onion in half and thinly slice. In a medium sized frying pan add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onion, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt, saute on very low heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with olive oil. Turn risen dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough just until it feels smooth, about 10 times. Roll out and place into baking sheet. Stretch dough to cover entire sheet, should be about 1/4 inch thick. Cover dough with gorgonzola, caramelized onions and rosemary. Bake until browned and sizzling, about 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve immediately, or at room temperature.