Vegan Olive and Red Onion Foccacia With Rosemary and Garlic

Thefollowing recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Professional Vegetarian Cooking, by Ken Bergeron, published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., page 358. I love this recipe. It tastes good, and it’s not hard to make. I usually have apples or frozen apple slices instead of applesauce, so I make my own apple sauce for this recipe. I just roast the apple until it’s soft enough to mash. I sometimes replace the maple syrup with agave nectar because that's what I have on hand. I like to increase the whole wheat flour to 2 cups, and decrease the white flour to 2 cups.

Vegan Olive and Red Onion Foccacia With Rosemary and Garlic
makes 12 servings

1 and 1/4 cup (300 ml) warm water (120 degrees F, 48 degrees C
2 tablespoons (30 ml) applesauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup
2 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) rapid rise yeast
3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose white flour
1 cup (140 grams) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) plus extra for the pan, extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (28 grams) red onions, finely diced
1/4 cup (28 grams) olives
1 teaspoon (5 grams) garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon (1.3 grams) fresh rosemary, minced
pinch black pepper

In a bowl, combine the water, applesauce, maple syrup, yeast, flours, half the salt, and one third of the olive oil. Mix until the dough forms a ball. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F (195 degrees C). Lightly oil a 7 inch X 15 inch ( 17.5 centimeter X 37.5 centimeter) pan. Roll the dough into a rectangle and press it into the pan. Using your fingers, make indentations in the top of the dough, and brush with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, the onions, olives, garlic, rosemary, and black pepper. Bake for 15 minutes and check for browning and doneness.