Pissaladière or Pizza with Onions and Anchovies

Start by mixing the yeast with 3 tablespoons of warm water and 3 tablespoons of flour from the total amount. Add 1/2 tsp of sugar and mix well. Let the yeast rise for 15 minutes.

Tip: The water should not be too hot or it will “kill” the yeast and the dough will not rise. The ideal temperature is between 25°C and 35C. When in doubt, I use a small thermometer, like the one used to check the temperature of wine, to measure the temperature of the water before adding it to the yeast.

Then pour the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and water. Mix well. Once you obtain a dough, knead it for a few minutes. You can add a little olive oil if the dough is too dry.

Put a little olive oil in the bottom of the bowl, form a smooth ball with the pizza dough and place it in the bowl. Let the dough rest for 1 to 2 hours.

Chop the onions.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan, add then the onions. Sauté over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and add a generous pinch of herbes de Provence.

Lower the heat and cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the onions stick to the bottom of the pan, add a little water and stir well.

Tip: At the end of cooking, add 3 finely chopped anchovies to the onions. This will bring out the taste of the onions!

Preheat your oven to 250°C. Roll out the pizza dough and form a circle of varying size depending on how thick you want your dough to be.

Once the pizza dough is rolled out, pour in the onions, not forgetting the edges. Place the anchovies and olives on top of the onions, making sure to place at least one anchovy and one olive on each piece of pissaladière.

Bake for 10 minutes. Check if it is done. If your dough is a little thick, continue to cook for 2-5 minutes.