Focaccia With Caramelized Onions, Pear and Blue Cheese

Found this recipe on pg. 96 of the January 2011 issue of Food & Wine magazine. I'd never attempted focaccia before and this was super easy (although time consuming) and tasted fantastic! The recipe below is as listed in the magazine, but when I made it I doubled the pear and blue cheese. I think next time I'm going to add some chopped and roasted walnuts.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 55 mins
• Serves: 8-12
• Yields: 1 9x13-inch

Ingredients

• 1  cup warm water
• 1 (1/4ounce) package dry active yeast
• 1⁄2 teaspoon honey
• 2 1⁄2 cups flour
• 9  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 1  large onion, thinly sliced
• 1  teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1  large bosc pear, cored and sliced
• 1⁄2 cup blue cheese, crumbles

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, and honey and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and 1/4 cup of the oil; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and the salt and knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let stand for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat one tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a 9x13 inch rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the sheet and press it down to fit. Dimple the dough all over with your fingers and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let the dough rise until puffed, about 20 minutes.
4. Scatter the onions over the dough. Arrange the pear over the onions and sprinkle with the blue cheese. drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the focaccia and bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve.