Sweet Potato Focaccia with Caramelized Onions, Ricotta Salata and Sage

Dough

  • 1-8 oz sweet potato
  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast

Topping

  • 1 large onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sage
  • 4 oz ricotta salata, crumbled
  • sprinkle kosher salt

Instructions

  1. For the dough: Prick the sweet potato all over with a fork, then place it on a plate in the microwave and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked through and soft. Slice the sweet potato in half and hold onto the halves with a kitchen towel as you scoop the cooked potato into the work bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the water, flour, olive oil, salt and yeast, then mix on medium-low speed until the dough starts to come together, pausing to scrape the bowl if necessary. Once the dough comes together, increase the speed to high and mix for about five minutes. Drizzle a little more olive oil into the work bowl, turn the dough over in the oil so it is coated, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, which should take about an hour.
  2. Meanwhile, slice the onion thinly and sauté in the oil over medium-low heat until golden and soft. Set aside.
  3. Once the dough has doubled, dump it out onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and press flat into a large oval, as close to the size of the cookie sheet as you can manage. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
  4. After about a half an hour, uncover the dough. If your dough is very elastic and seems to have pulled back, gently ease it back into a large oval. Scatter your caramelized onions, sage leaves and crumbled ricotta salata over the dough, sprinkle well with kosher salt and place it in your preheated oven.
  5. Bake the focaccia until it is puffed-up, crisp, and golden-brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm.