For this recipe it is an advantage to have an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment to start the kneading process. You can of course do it all by hand but it can get tiresome, as you will need to hand-knead it for a good 12-15 minutes.
Makes about 5-6 medium-sized flatbreads
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (300g) plain flour, plus extra for kneading and dusting
180ml lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon of fine salt
1 heaped teaspoon instant dried yeast or 15g fresh yeast
Fresh yeast is great, but is more difficult to get than dried; you can often buy small quantities at your local artisan bakery (if you ask nicely), but as a fallback most supermarkets sell instant dried yeast, which makes a great alternative.
For the topping:
4 Onions finely sliced
Tablespoon of Olive oil (or duck fat)
120g Goats’ Curd (just your favourite one)
1 ripe fig (finely sliced)
2-3 sprigs of lemon thyme
METHOD
1 In a small bowl, whisk the yeast into the water to dissolve. Place the yeast mixture, flour and salt in an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed for four minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix for another 4 minutes.
2 Sprinkle a little flour over your work surface and finish off the kneading process by hand for a minute or two and shape to a smooth round ball. The dough should be firm and supple. If it seems sticky knead in a little extra flour; if it appears too dry and crumbly, add a dash of water.
3 Place the dough in a bowl covered with a tea towel and allow to prove and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. The dough should almost double in size.
4 Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. Slowly cook the onions in a heavy based frying pan for about 90 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown colour and are sweet and caramelised with a jam like consistency. Set aside with the sliced figs and goats’ curd.
5 Preheat your oven to 200°C and place 2-3 baking trays in the oven to heat.
6 Divide the dough into 5 or 6 pieces, dust your workbench liberally with flour and roll each piece out to about 5mm thickness. Working in batches, if necessary, sprinkle the flatbreads with with the onions, sliced figs and dollops of goats’ curd and place on the preheated baking trays in the hot oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the dough is crisp and golden.
The Carousel thanks Centennial Hotel and Family Cooking for these recipes.