Pissaladière is basically a pizza from Provence. But instead of the familiar tomato sauce and cheese topping, the crust is crowned with sweet, wilted onions, which are balanced with savory anchovies, black olives, and Mediterranean herbs—a truly magical combination.
The name pissaladière derives from pissalat, a traditional seasoning of puréed salted fish from the region around Nice. However, modern pissaladières use convenient canned anchovies.
Some cooks use a basic pie crust, others puff pastry. But an olive-oil-enriched yeast dough, which I use here, is the most common crust for pissaladière. This well-hydrated yeast dough doesn’t require kneading, but for planning purposes, note that it needs to rise for about two hours. Another time-saver: the recipe uses instant yeast, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients.
Pissaladière makes a fine light lunch or appetizer. As it tastes good at room temperature, it’s convenient for transporting to a potluck or picnic. Try it for your next apéro. Santé!
Ingredients
Dough
1½ cups bread flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
1½ teaspoons instant yeast or bread machine yeast
½ teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
⅔ cup plus 1 tablespoon room-temperature water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Topping
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 cups sliced yellow onions (from about 2½ pounds onions)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 (2-ounce) cans flat anchovies (see Tip below)
12 pitted black olives (halved)
2 teaspoons each chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
Preparation
- To prepare dough: Whisk the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, yeast, fine salt, and sugar in a medium-large bowl. Mix the water and 1 tablespoon oil in the measuring cup; add to the flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Leaving the dough in the bowl, work it with your hands for about 1 minute. The dough will be firm and slightly sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let it sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the topping: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and kosher salt; cook, stirring often, until the onions have wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender but not browned, and the moisture has evaporated, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with vinegar and pepper. Transfer the onion mixture to a shallow dish, and let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, drain the anchovies. Cut each anchovy in half lengthwise and place them in a small bowl. Cover or water and let sit for at least 10 minutes to remove excess salt. Drain and pat dry.
- To assemble and bake the pissaladière: Set the rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 425ºF. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over a 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Scrape the risen dough onto the baking sheet. Using oiled hands, gently press and stretch the dough into a 13-by-11-inch rectangle, about ¼-inch thick. Don’t worry if a hole forms; simply patch it by pinching the edges together. Spread the cooled onion mixture over the top, leaving a ½-inch border all around. Sprinkle with the rosemary and thyme. Arrange the anchovy strips in a lattice pattern over the onions. (The anchovy strips are delicate. Don’t worry if they break; they don’t need to be perfect.) Arrange the olive halves in the lattice openings. (If you prefer a less structured presentation, chop the anchovies and stir them into the cooked onions. Spread over the crust, and sprinkle the olives and herbs over top.) Brush some of the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the rim, then drizzle any remaining oil over the top. Bake the pissaladière until the crust is crisp and light golden underneath, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Slide onto a cutting board and cut into 16 rectangles. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: Makes 16 appetizer servings.
Tip: Anchovies are considered essential in a traditional pissaladière, but if you or your guests are anchovy-phobic (or vegan), you can replace them with thin strips of jarred roasted red pepper (rinsed and patted dry).
–Patsy Jamieson