Rinse the eggplants. Remove the green leaves on top and then slice the eggplant up. Sprinkle a large baking tray generously with salt. Then cover with a layer of eggplant slices. Sprinkle with salt and top with another layer of sliced eggplant.

Then put the baking tray aside for 2 hours. In the meantime peel and chop the yellow onion and garlic. Add some olive to a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic and bay leaves.

Place the pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 4 minutes. Then add the chopped ripe tomato.

Stir and cook for a minute. Then add the canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with the dried thyme and a pinch of pepper and salt.

Simmer the tomato sauce for 30 minutes. Then take it off the heat. Rinse the eggplant slices under running tap water. Pat them dry with kitchen paper. Pour the flour in a deep plate. Dip the sliced eggplant in it. Shake off any excess flour.

Pour the frying oil in a heavy skillet. Put it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced eggplant for a minute on each side (in batches) until golden.

Spread some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Cover with a layer of fried eggplant. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Season with pepper.

Then spread again with the tomato sauce followed by a layer of fried eggplant and grated cheese. Go on like this. Finish with tomato sauce and grated cheese.

Bake the eggplant dish in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) until golden. Cut the baked eggplant up and serve hot.