Pissaladiere

The classic Niçoise pizza, loaded with sweet, soft-cooked onions; salty olives and anchovies add contrast. Be sure to simmer the onions very, very slowly.

1/2 recipe Pizza Dough
made with extra virgin olive oil

All-purpose flour for stretching or rolling the dough

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

11/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

6 to 10 anchovies (optional)

About 12 black olives, pitted and halved (optional)

6 to 8 thin slices tomato (optional)

• Heat the oven to 450 F. Knead the dough lightly.
• Put it on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle it with a little flour, and cover it with plastic wrap or a towel. Let it rest while you cook the onions.
• Put the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions along with some salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions give up their liquid and become quite soft, at least 15 minutes; don’t let them brown. When they are cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the thyme.
• Pat or roll out the dough to a diameter of 12 inches, using more flour as necessary. The process will be easier if you allow the dough to rest occasionally between rollings. If you have a peel and baking stone, roll or pat out the dough on the peel, as thinly as you like, turning occasionally and sprinkling it with flour as necessary. If you’re using baking sheets, oil them, then press each dough ball into a flat round directly on the oiled sheets.
• Let the dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to puff ever so slightly.
• Spread the dough with onions and then decorate, if you like, with anchovies, olives, and tomato. Bake until nicely crisp, 15 minutes or more; if the pizza is browning unevenly, rotate it back to front about halfway through the cooking time. Serve hot or at room temperature.

MAKES: 1 thick-crust pizza (4 main-dish or 8 appetizer servings)

TIME: About 1 hour with premade dough