I get roped into making this bread for every holiday on both sides of my family and it never lasts through the meal. The base dough is just a simple pizza dough:
4 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 cups warm water
6 1/2 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
Combine all ingredients and knead thoroughly (I cheat by using a bread machine and running the dough cycle 3 times). If you're going by hand, allow to rise for an hour in a warm place after mixing and kneading, punch down and knead, then repeat another time. The dough ball is cut in half, placed in oiled bags, and allowed to rise for 24 hours in the fridge.
The dough is turned out of the bags and floured, then gently shaped into a sort of teardrop/egg shape and cut appropriately with a pizza wheel. If you don't want to be fancy and make the leaf shape, a square or circle will be fine. This is placed on a cornmeal dusted sheet pan or pizza peel, brushed with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with coarse sea salt and chopped rosemary. If going with the plain shape, carmellized onions and black olives are also great toppings but you won't get them to stay on the leaf shape.
A pizza stone is placed in the oven before preheating to 450F. A spray bottle is prepared with plain water. The bread is slid off onto the stone and the walls of the oven are sprayed with a little water. Bake for two minutes and spray again, then repeat once more. The bread then bakes for 12 more minutes and is broiled right at the end until golden brown on top. After removing from the oven, the top is dabbed with more extra virgin olive oil.
The bread is only at its best for about 6 to 8 hours after it comes out of the oven, so eat up!
It is delicious with goat or feta cheese.
`anmari has been spreading her infectious positivity throughout our community for over 6 years. Throughout this time Ana has been at the core of all things devious, passionately developing an eclectic gallery, helping organise devmeets, participating in chat events and also recently completed dedicating her time as a Community Volunteer. We are absolutely delighted to bestow the Deviousness Award for May 2013 to `anmari, congratulations! Read More
Sta.sh
