Paris in Elkhart has arrived

For my birthday, as some of you may recall, Blake bought me a couple wonderful gifts, with a French Theme. After reading through Ina Garten's Barefoot In Paris Cookbook, I was determined to make Pissaladiére, and I finally broke down and made the dang thing! I meant to before Ella was born, but that never happened and then I didn't really have a chance to until now. Being a new mom is busy! It feels like I'm not doing anything but feeding and changing diapers, but then the day is over before you know it.

Anyway, I served it with a cucumber & tomato salad. I used small, seedless cucumbers, tomatoes (from the Amish farm!) parsley, fresh lime juice, olive oil, and salt.

For some reason this recipe makes enough dough for 2 but only enough topping for 1 ... so either double the topping or freeze half of the dough for another time. Apparently it works. I will report if it doesn't since I have a ball of dough in my freezer.

Pissaladiére
makes 1 cookie sheet size
For the topping:
1/4 C olive oil
2 lbs onions (I used red and yellow onions)
1 t herbes de provence
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
3 whole clove garlic

for the dough:
1 1/4 C warm water (100° to 110°)
4 t active dry yeast
1 T honey
3 T olive oil
4 C all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 t kosher salt

to assemble pissaladiére:
cornmeal, for baking
9 anchovie fillets
12 black olives (any black olives will work, other than California olives)

1. For the topping, heat oil in a large sauté pan and cook the onions, herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic on low~medium heat for 45 minutes, until onions are sweet & cooked but not browned. After about 30 minutes, take out the garlic cloves and chop/smash and put back into the pot.
2. Meanwhile, for the dough, combine water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment. Add 3 cups of flour and the salt on medium-low speed. mix in 1 more C of flour gradually. Let it mix for about 10 minutes, until dough is smooth. Add more flour if needed. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 450°
4. Divide dough into 2 equal parts, rolling each into a smooth ball. Roll the dough lightly with a rolling pin then stretch it to a 10/15 inch rectangle and place on a baking hseet sprinkled with cornmeal.
5. Spoon on onion topping on the dough, leaving a border. Arrange anchovies and olives on top and brush with olive oil on the edge. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is crisp. Serve hot.