Pissalidière

Topping
1/4 C (1/2 stick)	butter
6 lbs	onions, thinly sliced
6	fresh thyme sprigs
4	fresh rosemary sprigs
2	bay leaves
6 tbsp	extra-virgin olive oil
Crust
1 C	warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 tbsp	dry yeast (from 2 envelopes)
1 tsp	sugar
2 3/4 C	all purpose flour (more may be needed)
1 tsp	salt
3 tbsp	extra-virgin olive oil
	yellow cornmeal
20	drained and rinsed anchovy fillets
20	oil-cured black olives, pitted
1 tbsp	chopped fresh thyme

For topping:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place butter on heavy large rimmed baking sheet; place in oven until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Spread half of onions on baking sheet; top with 3 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprigs and 1 bay leaf. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil. Top with remaining onions, 3 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprigs, and 1 bay leaf. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil (onion layer will be about 2 1/2 inches thick but will settle during baking). Bake until onions are very tender and golden, stirring and turning every 30 minutes, about 2 hours total. Cool. Discard herb sprigs and bay leaves. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)

For crust:
Pour 1 cup warm water into small bowl; sprinkle yeast and sugar over. Stir to blend. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Blend 2 3/4 cups flour and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons oil; process until dough clumps together, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is sticky. Process until shiny ball forms, about 1 minute. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Coat large bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add dough to bowl; turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough; cover and let rise until puffed and almost doubled, about 1 hour.

Sprinkle heavy 17x11x1-inch baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 18x12-inch rectangle. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; press edges of dough up along sides and corners of sheet. Cover with dry kitchen towel; let rise until slightly puffed, 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 475°F. Spread onions over top of dough. Arrange anchovies and olives atop. Bake until crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme. Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 4 hours ahead; let stand at room temperature.)

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe courtesy of epicurious.com. http://www.epicurious.com

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