Caramelized Leek and Onion Focaccia with Ham and Cheese #TwelveLoaves

The #TwelveLoaves challenge for May is…wait for it….wait for it….ONIONS! My favorite ingredient!!!
So I decided to make a Caramelized Leek and Onion Focaccia, and at the last minute I decided to top it with some leftover ham I had along with some mozzarella cheese and a tangy stone ground mustard mayo sauce. The results were scrumptious!

CARAMELIZED LEEK AND ONION FOCACCIA WITH HAM AND CHEESE
{PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Yield: 3 – 9″ focaccias     Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes rise time)  Bake Time: 35-40 minutes

For the dough:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large leek, trimmed, cleaned and chopped (white parts and light green parts only)
2 large sweet onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups beef broth
4 tablespoons butter
4 1/2 – 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves (or two teaspoons fresh)
olive oil spray
corn meal for dusting
For the topping:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
3 cups chopped ham
4 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

-In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the leeks, onion and garlic in the canola oil until lightly caramelized. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add the water and scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Remove from heat and cool.
-In a medium sized microwave bowl, heat the beef broth and butter in the microwave on medium power until the butter is soft and the broth is warm (110 degrees).
-In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 4 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, yeast, sugar and thyme leaves.
-Using the dough hook, knead the beef liquid into the four mixture to form a soft dough. *Note – if the dough seems too sticky, add in the additional 1/2 cup flour or more if necessary.
-Add the cooled leeks and onion into the dough and knead the two together to fully incorporate.
-Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and allow the dough to double in bulk in a warm, draft free place (about 1 hour).
-Punch the dough down and divide into three equal portions.
-Lightly spray 3 – 9″ round cake pans with olive oil and dust the bottom of each pan with some cornmeal.
-Place the dough into each cake pan and use your hands to press the dough evenly on the bottom, and up the sides of the pan.
-Allow the dough to rise again in a warm, draft free place for an additional 45-50 minutes.
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-Bake the 3 focaccia in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (or until they are lightly golden brown in color).
-Cool and remove from the pans.
-At this point you can serve as is or you can top them with the following:
-In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey and mustard.
-Spread an even layer of the honey mustard sauce on each of the focaccia.
-Top each focaccia evenly with 1 cup of ham and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.
-Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned.
-Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

Delicioso!

I can hardly wait to see what the other #TwelveLoave bakers did with May’s key ingredient…ONIONS! I’m 100% sure there are going to be some fantastic recipes that I’ll be adding to my recipe files for making in the not too distant future. Click the links below and be prepared to drool!

• Caramelized Leek and Onion Focaccia by Renee at Kudos Kitchen By Renee
• Caramelized Onions Muffins by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
• Caramelized Vidalia Onion Rolls by Lora at Cake Duchess
• Crusty Cheese and Onion Bread by Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Leek Bread with Red Curry by Rossella at Ma che ti sei mangiato
• Onion and Fennel Rye by Donna at Cookistry
• Onion Cheddar Bread by Dionne at Try Anything Once Culinary
• Onion Rolls by Holly at A Baker’s House
• Rustic French Onion Focaccia by Felice at All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
• Sausage, Onion and Cheese Muffins by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Spicy Onion Paratha by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Spinach and Onion Braid by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Nice, right? You bet!

#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess and runs smoothly with the help of our friend Renee from Magnolia Days.

With last April being the month of Oranges, here’s my #TwelveLoaves contribution from last month. It was one of my favorites!!!

Orange Honey Crescent Rolls:

And while we’re at it, the month of March wasn’t too shabby either…The key ingredient was strawberries.

Strawberry Bread with Rhubarb and Bananas:

And, as always… 🙂

If there is ever anything I can paint for you, please don’t hesitate to contact me or visit my shop which is located within the navigation bar. Custom orders are always welcome and I can work from any photo or description you send my way. Kudos Kitchen by Reneé ~ Where food, art and fun collide on a regular basis! Thanks for visiting! Until we bake again,