Focaccia au Gratin

Think potatoes au gratin…but make it focaccia! Squishy focaccia topped with melted cheese, shallots, rosemary, potatoes and more cheese - what's not to love? This makes the perfect addition to any brunch table or as a side to enjoy alongside a nice salad or bowl of soup. Use it for an extra special sandwich or just devour it on its own - trust me, it's THAT good!

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Step 1

Follow the recipe instructions for the dough. As the dough is proofing in the oiled tray before baking, you can start prepping your toppings.

Step 2

Thinly slice your baking potato using a sharp knife or mandoline. Place potato slices into a bowl filled with cold water and let them sit for 15-30 minutes. This will stop them from browning, but will also remove some of the starch from the potatoes which will result in a crispier potato topping.

Step 3

Shred your cheese. I used various cheeses I already had in the fridge (gruyere, white cheddar, provolone and mozzarella) - please feel free to use what you already have on hand! If you're buying cheese especially for this recipe, I think the nuttiness of the gruyere and the sharpness of the white cheddar work really well here.

Step 4

Peel and thinly slice four small shallots (two if they're large), and prepare your rosemary by removing the needles from their sprigs. If you'd prefer to use green onions/spring onions, or some thyme then please feel free to customise!

Step 5

Preheat oven to 220C or 430F and place rack in the bottom position of the oven as per overnight focaccia recipe instructions.

Step 6

Once your dough has fully proofed, remove the potatoes from the water and dry them completely. Coat the potatoes, shallots and rosemary lightly with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Step 7

Drizzle the focaccia with a little bit of olive oil and dimple it. Scatter 3/4 of the shallots across the top of the dimpled dough. Then top with 2/3 of the shredded cheese. Dot the rosemary (or green onions or thyme) across the top of the dough as well.

Step 8

Place the thinly sliced potatoes in one layer over the entire tray of focaccia. Ideally you won't see much of the dough popping through from the bottom.

Step 9

Sprinkle the remaining shallot slices on top of the potatoes. Top with a good sprinkle of flaky sea salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.

Step 10

Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from oven and quickly sprinkle on the remaining cheese. We add this on to the partially baked focaccia because it would get a bit too crispy/brown if it baked for the entire time.

Step 11

Return to oven and finish baking for another 10-12 minutes or so. The bread and topping should be golden brown with the potatoes and cheese crisping up on the edges.

Step 12

Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting in and enjoying. This makes the perfect addition to any brunch table or as a side to enjoy alongside a nice salad or bowl of soup. Use it for an extra special sandwich or just devour it on its own - trust me, it's THAT good!