Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Focaccia with Apricot Jam, Caramelized Onions, and Fennel

Hear ye, hear ye: Longtime Food52er MrsWheelbarrow has come out with a beautiful new cookbook! All week long, Cathy will be sharing recipes from Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry and giving us new ways to use up the preserves in our cupboards. And we're giving away a copy each day -- so you can finally get over your fear of preserving.

Today: A sweet and savory focaccia that's suited for any time and any place. 

This focaccia can be a first course, a cheese course, a teatime snack, or a brunch food. In other words, it's fabulous at any time. Not-too-sweet preserves dancing with savory flavors: one of my favorite performances.

More: 12 more yeasted breads to conquer. 

This dough is my go-to for pizza and almost any flatbread-type recipe. It’s quite wet, which means that it's soft and full of bubbles when baked. The bubbles get larger, and the tangy-sour flavor deepens with a longer, cooler rise. 

Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Focaccia with Apricot Jam, Caramelized Onions, and Fennel

Makes one 14- by 10-inch focaccia

For the dough:

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the bowl
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the topping:

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons
2 cups sliced fennel
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces apricot jam
4 ounces aged, crumbly goat cheese (but fresh is fine, too)
Crunchy sea salt

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton

Every day this week, we're giving away a copy of Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry! To win today's copy, tell us in the comments: How do you top your focaccia and flatbreads? We'll choose winners this Friday, November 7th. (U.S. entrants only, please!) 

Update: Nogaga, pamelalee, littleknitter, lizzaljoelle, and Matteo Cavelier are our winners! We hope you enjoy your copies of Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry.