Doughy favorites: Onion bread sticks and tomato parsley focaccia

Few food items top the list above pizza, breadsticks, or focaccia. Dough, cheese and sauce...what more does one need once you round this meal off with a salad?

Freshly sautéed onions add a zesty taste to frozen bread dough.

Preparation: 20 minutes 

Rising: about 1 hour 

Cooking: 35 minutes

Makes 12 bread sticks

Essentail ingredients

• 500 g (1 lb) premade pizza dough, thawed if frozen
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) coarse salt, such as sea salt or kosher salt

Instructions

1. Lightly oil two large baking trays. Pat dough out on a lightly floured surface to make a 30 x 15 centimetre (12 x 6 inch) rectangle.

2. Cut evenly into 12 bread sticks, each 15 centimetres (six inches) long. Gently twist each stick. Place on baking trays and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, or about one hour.

3. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Sauté until soft and golden.

4. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place an oven rack in the lowest position and one in the highest position.

5. Just before baking, distribute sautéed onions over surface of each bread stick, taking care not to deflate dough. Sprinkle each stick with salt.

6. Bake on the low rack for 15 minutes. Then move to the top rack. Bake until the onion is crisp and golden, or five to eight minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Per bread stick: 110 calories, 3 g protein, 3 g fat (including 0 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fibre, 258 mg sodium

Focaccia is a flat bread similar to a pizza, but softer and thicker.

Preparation: 25 minutes 

Rising: 1 hour 55 minutes 

Cooking: 40 minutes

Serves 8 

Your list:

• 10 ml (2 tsp) sugar
• 500 ml (2 c) lukewarm water
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 100 ml (1⁄3 c) chopped parsley
• 50 ml (3 1⁄2 tbsp) olive oil
• 7 ml (1 1⁄2 tsp) salt
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) dried sage
• 640 g (5 c) all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 large yellow pepper, seeded and cut in thin strips
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) grated parmesan cheese

Ready, set, go

1. Stir sugar into lukewarm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the top. Leave until foamy, or about five minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast.

2. Reserve 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) parsley for top of bread. Stir the remaining parsley, 45 millilitres (three tablepoons) oil, salt and sage into yeast mixture.

3. Add 255 grams (two cups) flour; mix vigorously. Stir in 385 grams (three cups) flour to make a stiff dough.

4. Lightly flour a work surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, or about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, or about one hour 15 minutes.

5. Lightly oil a 43 x 28 centimetre (17 x 11 inch) jelly roll pan. Punch dough down. Knead briefly. Pat into a rectangle and place in pan. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, or about 40 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Place oven rack in lowest position. Make dimples in dough with fingertips. Brush with remaining oil. Sprinkle with garlic and arrange tomato slices over the top. Top with pepper and sprinkle with parmesan.

7. Bake on lowest rack until browned at the edges, or 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Sprinkle with reserved parsley. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes.

Per serving: 395 calories, 11 g protein, 7 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 71 g carbohydrates, 3 g fibre, 468 mg sodium

Focaccia is delicious when used for sandwiches. Try slices of mozzarella and tomato. Pita bread and lavash are also versatile flatbreads. Fill pita pockets with salad greens and slices of cooked meat, and use lavash to make wraps. Any way you slice it, this is a great meal or snack for adults and kids alike.

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