Pissaladière is the onion tart of Nice. It is humble, just bread dough, onions and anchovies, but the slowly caramelized onions do so much work that the whole thing tastes far richer than its ingredient list suggests.

This is Niçoise cooking at its most patient. A mountain of onions cooks low and slow until they collapse into a sweet, jammy spread, which then gets pressed onto a thin sheet of bread dough, topped with anchovy fillets in a lattice, and studded with olives. It bakes fast once the onions are done, which makes it a good make-ahead project: caramelize the onions the day before, then assemble and bake when you’re ready.

If your table already has a soft spot for the south of France, this fits right alongside our Socca (recipe on the site), Salade Niçoise (recipe on the site), and Ratatouille Niçoise (recipe on the site).

Pissaladière Recipe

What you need

Ingredients

For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the topping:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 lbs yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 6 large onions)
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 oz canned oil-packed anchovy fillets (about 16 to 20), drained
1/3 cup Niçoise or oil-cured black olives, pitted

Cook along

Instructions

Make the dough: dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit 5 minutes until foamy. Stir in flour, salt, and olive oil until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a floured surface 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the topping: heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook low and slow, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and jammy, 45 to 60 minutes, stirring in the sugar about halfway through to help caramelization. Season lightly with salt, keeping in mind the anchovies add plenty. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and let cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet or 9×13-inch pan with parchment.
Punch down the dough and stretch or roll it out to fit the pan, pressing it into the corners. Let rest 10 minutes.
Spread the caramelized onions evenly over the dough. Arrange the anchovy fillets in a crisscross lattice on top and place an olive in the center of each diamond.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until the crust is golden brown at the edges.
Let cool slightly, cut into squares or strips, and serve warm or at room temperature.