roasted fennel and grape flatbread recipe
This is one of the easiest breads to make. Just shove all the ingredients together, leave to rise, roll out and leave for a short second rising and bake. We had this with fried sea bass fillets and a tomato, chive and chilli salsa.
This recipe makes two loaves. You can store one easily wrapped in tinfoil and left in a cool place for 2-3 days and then heat through in a warm oven for 10 minutes.
Makes 2 flat breads which each serve 8
- 1lb 1oz/480g strong white bread flour
- ¾oz/21g fresh yeast
- 2 tsp Maldon salt
- 4 tsp caster sugar
- 3½fl oz/100ml extra virgin olive oil plus 8 tbsp
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 2 tbsp chopped fennel
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 10½oz/300g muscat grapes (halved and deseeded)
Place flour, salt, sugar, olive oil and yeast into a mixer with a dough hook attachment.
Turn onto a slow speed and gradually add warm water to form a dough, mix for 5-6 minutes. If you don't have a KitchenAid, just mix and knead by hand.
Turn out into a greased mixing bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour, until it has doubled in size.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the fennel, season quite generously, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in tin foil and roast in the over at about 180C/350F/gas 4 (add 10C/25F for non-fan oven) for 30 minutes until soft and aromatic. Leave to cool.
Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan until they crackle and pop. Then crush roughly in a pestle and mortar and leave to one side.
Turn the dough out onto a floured worktop and divide in half.
Roll each piece out into a circle about ½in thick, place on a greased baking sheet and leave to rise a little for about 15 minutes. Then use your thumb to make deep impressions on the surface. These will help to trap the olive oil and prevent your bread from rising too much.
Brush 2 tbsp olive oil over each flatbread, scatter the roasted fennel, halved grapes, chopped fennel and roasted fennel seeds evenly and brush each with another 2 tbsp olive oil.
Leave to rise for another 20 minutes, then bake at 190C/375F, gas 5 (add 10C/25F for non-fan oven) for about 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack. While cooling brush again with the remaining olive oil. Serve warm or cold.
