Niçoise Pissaladière with Caramelized Onions and Anchovies

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Niçoise flavors: sweet onions, briny anchovies, and tiny black olives on an olive-oil crust.
• Deeply caramelized onions add luxurious sweetness without any added sugar.
• Crisp, airy dough that’s easy to make and forgiving for home cooks.
• A whisper of orange zest brightens the savory richness right at the end.

Grocery List

• Produce: 2 1/2 lb yellow onions, 1 head garlic, 1 orange, 1 small bunch fresh thyme
• Dairy: None
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, instant yeast, extra-virgin olive oil, sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, bay leaf, anchovy fillets in oil (1 tin), Niçoise olives (pitted), optional dry white wine

Full Ingredients

Olive-Oil Crust

• All-purpose flour: 2 1/2 cups (300 g)
• Warm water (105–115°F / 40–46°C): 3/4 cup (180 ml)
• Instant yeast: 1 teaspoon (3 g)
• Sugar: 1 teaspoon
• Kosher salt: 1 teaspoon (5 g)
• Extra-virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons (45 ml), plus more for greasing and brushing

Onion Topping

• Yellow onions: 2 1/2 pounds (about 6 medium), root-to-stem thinly sliced
• Extra-virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons (45 ml)
• Kosher salt: 1 1/2 teaspoons, divided
• Bay leaf: 1
• Fresh thyme: 2 teaspoons leaves, plus a few small sprigs for finish
• Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Dry white wine (optional): 2 tablespoons
• Finely grated orange zest: 1 teaspoon, divided (half for finishing; optional pinch stirred into onions)

Assembly

• Anchovy fillets in olive oil: 1 tin (2 oz/55 g), drained and patted dry
• Niçoise olives: 3/4 cup (100 g), pitted (whole or halved)
• Extra-virgin olive oil: 1–2 teaspoons for brushing edges

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large bowl, whisk warm water with sugar and yeast. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a lightly floured surface (or in a stand mixer with dough hook) until smooth and elastic, 5–7 minutes. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.

Step 2: First rise

Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough inside, and turn to coat. Cover and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled, 45–60 minutes. Meanwhile, start the onions.

Step 3: Caramelize the onions low and slow

In a wide heavy skillet or Dutch oven, warm 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and thyme leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions collapse, then reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, stirring more frequently toward the end, until deeply golden and jammy, 45–60 minutes total. Stir in the garlic for the last 10 minutes to soften without scorching. Deglaze with the wine if using, scraping up any browned bits. Remove bay leaf and any thyme stems. Season with black pepper and an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt if needed. Let cool slightly. For a subtle brightness, stir in a pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) of the orange zest now.

Step 4: Preheat the oven and set up your bake

Place a baking stone, steel, or an inverted sturdy baking sheet on the middle rack. Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes to ensure a crisp base. Cut a sheet of parchment to roughly 10×14 inches.

Step 5: Shape the crust

Turn the risen dough onto the parchment and press or roll it into a 9×13-inch rectangle with an even thickness. Dimple gently with your fingertips to prevent bubbling and brush the surface with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Step 6: Top with onions, anchovies, and olives

Spread the caramelized onions evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange anchovy fillets in a lattice pattern (diagonals about 1 1/2 inches apart). Nestle Niçoise olives at lattice intersections or scatter them evenly. Grind black pepper over the top.

Step 7: Bake hot and finish with zest

Slide the parchment directly onto the preheated stone/steel or inverted sheet. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown at the edges and the onions are sizzling, 18–22 minutes, rotating once halfway. Transfer to a rack. Brush the edge with a little olive oil, then finish with the remaining orange zest and a few fresh thyme sprigs. Rest 5 minutes before slicing into squares.

Pro Tips

• Slice onions root-to-stem for strands that hold their shape during the long cook.
• Use a stone or steel and preheat thoroughly—high bottom heat is the key to a crisp base.
• Pat anchovies dry so they roast, not steam.
• If your onions brown too fast, add a splash of water and lower the heat; patience makes them sweeter.
• Prefer a thicker crust? Use 330–350 g flour and bake 2–3 minutes longer.

Variations

• Puff pastry shortcut: Use one sheet of all-butter puff pastry, dock it, and bake 5 minutes before topping; finish baking 15–18 minutes.
• Herb swap: Replace thyme with rosemary or a mix of thyme and oregano for a woodsy profile.
• Traditional touch: Replace some anchovies with a smear of pissala (anchovy-sardine paste) beneath the onions if you can find it.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Caramelized onions keep refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 2 months. The dough can cold-proof: after the first knead, refrigerate covered up to 24 hours; bring to room temp 45–60 minutes before shaping. Baked pissaladière keeps 2 days refrigerated; reheat at 375°F (190°C) on a sheet or stone for 8–10 minutes until crisp. Leftovers are also excellent at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate per 1/6 tart: 440 calories; 25 g fat; 45 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 3 g fiber; 1050 mg sodium. Values will vary with anchovy and olive brands.