Preparation time: 20 minutes + 1 hour 10 minutes proving
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 6-8
3/4 cup (180mL) lukewarm water
2 teaspoons dry yeast (7g sachet)
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups (300g) plain flour (plus extra flour to knead)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 small red onions, cut into thin wedges
sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
1. Combine the water, yeast, sugar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes until the mixture is frothy.
2. Place the flour, salt and rosemary into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. When the mixture starts to come together, use your hands to gather it into a ball.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap (not touching the dough). Stand the bowl in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C, and lightly oil a large oven tray.
4. Punch the dough down with your fist, to expel the air, and knead the dough again for a couple of minutes. Roll out the dough until it is 1cm thick, in a roughly rectangular shape about 35cm x 25cm. Place onto the prepared oven tray.
5. Brush the dough lightly with half the remaining olive oil. Arrange the onion wedges over the dough, and press in firmly (see the photo above, for reference). Brush the onion with the remaining olive oil. Cover the dough loosely with a clean tea towel and let it stand in a warm place for about 15 minutes, until risen.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the bread is golden-brown on top and underneath. Serve warm, or transfer to a wire rack to cool. Just before serving, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt.
note
If possible, use a flour which says ‘for bread’, as it has a higher gluten content.
