Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Makes 1 large pissaladière (30x40 cm / 12x16 in)
For the dough
- 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (plain flour) (white, or half whole wheat)
- 10 g (⅓ oz) fresh yeast (or 4 g / 1¼ tsp active dry yeast)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
- 1 tsp salt (5 g)
- 60-80 ml (¼-⅓ cup) olive oil
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) lukewarm water
For the topping
- 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) onions (about 6 large, before peeling)
- 12 anchovy fillets in oil
- about 10 small black olives
- 2-3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (light brown, preferably)
- 1 drizzle balsamic vinegar (optional)
- olive oil
- Salt, pepper
Pissaladière, the famous onion tart from Nice, takes its name from pissala, a purée of anchovies and sardines in olive oil that was spread over the dough. Unlike a classic tart, pissaladière is made with a thick bread dough very similar to the one for Tunisian pizza. The topping is a bed of slow-cooked onions scented with thyme and bay leaf. Black olives and anchovies go on top, to taste.
Making the dough
- Dissolve the yeast in the barely lukewarm water with the sugar (the sugar will feed the yeast). Stir and let stand for 10 minutes, until it turns foamy.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt and oil, then the water and yeast mixture. Knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and even. Shape into a ball, cover and let rise for 1 hour in the turned-off oven, or until doubled in size.
Time-saving tip: whenever I make this dough, I always double the quantities and freeze one batch after it has risen, tightly wrapped in a freezer bag, for example. You can use it for another pissaladière or a Tunisian pizza.
Making the topping
Peel the onions and slice them thinly. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan, add the onions, and season with salt and pepper.
Add the thyme, bay leaf (and the garlic, if using) and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, then lower the heat; if needed, add 1 small glass of water so the onions cook without sticking. Cover. When the onions are meltingly soft and translucent, add the sugar and the drizzle of vinegar. Turn off the heat and remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. There may be a little liquid left, and that’s fine: pour off the excess without pressing too hard so the onions don’t dry out; they will reabsorb some liquid as they cool.
Assembling the pissaladière
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan/convection (or 220°C / 425°F conventional). Roll out the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then (if you have some, spread it with pissala), let it relax for 15 minutes, then top with the onions, smoothing with the back of a large spoon so they are evenly spread. Add a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and crisp.
As soon as it comes out of the oven, arrange the anchovies in a lattice pattern and dot with black olives.
To serve, cut into large squares and arrange on a serving platter; pissaladière is eaten warm or cold.
Tips and variations
Add the anchovy fillets after baking so they don’t dry out. You can also, as in the most traditional version, mash the anchovies into a paste with olive oil and spread it over the dough before adding the onions.
Some people use tuna instead of anchovies.
For a vegan version, use only pitted black olives.
Pissaladière can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator. Just reheat it in the oven for about 10 minutes to bring back its crispness.
For a less traditional, more brioche-like version, replace part of the water with milk.
I have cut back on the oil and water and find the result just as good; I’ve left the original proportions here, so it’s up to you.