Mini Pissaladiere Recipes

Steps:

• To make the onion filling:
• In a large saute pan, cook the onions with salt in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat until very soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add the minced garlic and thyme and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season the onions with salt, and pepper, to taste. Cook's Note: Slightly under salt to account for the salt from the anchovies and olives.
• To assemble:
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Stretch the dough into a long rectangle and place on a greased baking sheet. It should almost fit the size of the baking sheet. Spread the onion mixture on the dough, leaving a small border. Arrange the anchovies and olives decoratively over the onions. Brush the exposed dough with the remaining olive oil and bake in the hot oven until golden and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Tip the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl. Pour in the water, spoon in the oil and mix to a soft dough. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
• Return the dough to the bowl, cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and leave it to rise for 45 minutes to 1¼ hours or until the dough springs back when pressed. Don't worry too much is it takes more or less time - it's not critical for this relaxed recipe.
• While the dough is rising, heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan or sauté pan, throw in the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes until softened but not browned, stirring from time to time.
• Sprinkle in the thyme and some salt and pepper, then tip in the tomatoes and stir well. Cover and cook gently for 45 minutes until the onions are meltingly soft, stirring occasionally and removing the lid for the last 10 minutes to reduce any liquid. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C. Lightly oil a shallow 23x33cm baking tin or tray. Knead the dough again briefly, then roll it out and press it into the tin. Don't leave it to rise again.
• Spread the onion mixture over the dough, then arrange the anchovies on top, making a criss-cross pattern. Stud each window between the anchovies with an olive, then bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Serve warm, cold or reheated, cut into squares.

Steps:

• For the topping, heat the olive oil in a very large saute pan and cook the onions, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic over low heat for 45 minutes, until the onions are sweet and cooked but not browned. Toss the onions from time to time. After 30 minutes, take out the garlic, chop it roughly, and add it back to the onions.
• Meanwhile, for the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. (If the bowl is cold, start with warmer water so it's at least 100 degrees F when you add the yeast.) Add 3 cups of the flour, then the salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Mix the dough on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, until smooth, sprinkling it with flour to keep it from sticking to the bowl. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, rolling each 1 into a smooth ball. If you're only making 1 pissaladiere, place 1 ball on a baking sheet and cover it loosely with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. (If you're not using the other dough, wrap it well and refrigerate or freeze it for the next time.) Roll the dough lightly with a rolling pin, then stretch it to a 10 by 15-inch rectangle and place it on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
• Spoon the onion topping onto the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border all around. Artfully arrange the anchovies and olives on top, brush the edge of the dough with olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is crisp. Serve hot on a cutting board.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place puff pastry sheets on a floured work surface. Using a floured 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 24 rounds. Place on a parchment-lined (baking paper-lined) baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap while cooking onion topping.
• Warm oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat until soft and slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove frying pan from heat and allow onions to cool.
• Top each pastry round with onion mixture. Halve the anchovy fillets lengthwise and place two halves in a cross pattern on top of onions on each pastry round. Cut olives into slivers and place in angles of anchovy crosses. Bake until pastry is golden and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Serve hot, garnished with basil leaves.

Steps:

• To prepare the dough: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt and pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse a few times or mix on low, until it is the consistency of a fine meal. Add the milk and pulse or mix on low until the dough barely comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dip the heel of your hand in flour and, working with small sections, smear the dough away from you to blend it together. When the dough has been all smeared out, using a metal scraper or spatula, scrape and gather it together and knead a few times to gather into a ball. Flatten into a disc, and wrap in plastic to chill until firm, about 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
• In a large saucepan, over low heat, combine the olive oil, onions, salt, and pepper. Add 1/2 of the sherry and cook slowly for about 45 minutes to an hour until caramelized, stirring occasionally. Stir in another tablespoon of sherry, to taste, and set aside to cool.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a circle, 1/8-thick, flouring the surface of the dough as necessary. Line the tart ring with the dough and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the oven rack from the oven and place the baking stone directly on the floor of the oven. If you don't have a baking stone, you'll still need to remove the rack and place the tart on a baking sheet directly on the floor of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. at least one hour before baking to warm up the baking stone.
• Evenly distribute the onions over the dough. Cover the tart loosely with foil, taking care that the foil doesn't touch the tomatoes.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours. About 30 minutes before the tart is done, remove it from the oven and lift off the foil. Evenly distribute the olives, anchovies and thyme sprigs on top, and return the tart to the oven to finish baking.

Steps:

• To make the dough: Make a well in the flour. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and set aside until dissolved and slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat the egg and salt into it, and pour into the well of the flour. Gradually mix with your fingers, drawing the flour in to make the dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour, if needed. Cover and set in a warm place to double in bulk, about 1 hour.
• To prepare the topping: Heat the oil in a saute pan and add the onions, herbs, salt, and pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. When the dough is ready, punch it down and roll it out like pizza dough. Lay on a baking sheet. Top with the onions. Lay on the tomato slices in rows. Arrange a lattice of anchovies, and fill spaces with olives. Grind over pepper. Let sit 15 minutes for the dough to rise up again a bit. Bake until the crust is done, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. (If the bowl is cold, start with warmer water so it's at least 100 degrees F when you add the yeast.) Add 3 cups of the flour, then the salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Mix the dough on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, until smooth, sprinkling it with flour to keep it from sticking to the bowl. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, rolling each 1 into a smooth ball. If you're only making 1 pissaladiere, place 1 ball on a baking sheet and cover it loosely with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. (If you're not using the other dough, wrap it well and refrigerate or freeze it for the next time.) Roll the dough lightly with a rolling pin, then stretch it to a 10 by 15-inch rectangle and place it on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
• Spread the tomato paste onto the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border all around. Artfully arrange the sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella on top. Sprinkle with the Cheddar, pepper, and thyme. Brush the edge of the dough with olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is crisp. Serve hot on a cutting board.

Steps:

• Make the filling: Finely chop 2 of the anchovy fillets. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme and chopped anchovy, then cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in salt, and continue cooking for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be pale golden and very soft; lower the heat if they start to turn dark brown at the edges or stick to the skillet. Use your judgment on timing: Look to the color of the onions to tell you when they're done. Remove from heat and cool completely before using.
• Meanwhile, make the dough: In a medium bowl, sprinkle dry yeast over warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes, then add oil. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt, then stir in yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until combined. Turn bowl's contents out onto a floured surface and knead until uniform and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. (Flour your hands if necessary to keep dough from sticking.) Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, flip the dough over, cover bowl with a damp cloth and let rest in a draft-free place for 1 hour.
• Lightly oil an 11x17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Working on a floured surface, roll dough into an 11x16-inch rectangle, then transfer it to the oiled baking sheet and press the dough to the sides. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread cooked onions evenly over dough, and top with remaining anchovies and olives. Bake until edges and underside are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.