Ingredients
- 250g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp easy-blend dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1kg onions, thinly sliced
- 1 fat garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus a few extra sprigs
- 10-12 black olives, pitted
- 50g can anchovies in olive oil, drained
Method
- 1. Sift the bread flour, salt, dried yeast and sugar into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and stir in 150ml hand-hot water.
- 2. Bring the mixture together with your hands, adding a little extra water if necessary and work to make a soft dough. Tip out and knead on a clean, lightly floured work surface for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes-1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- 3. Meanwhile, make the pissaladière topping. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the sliced onions and stir to coat well in the oil. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and cook very gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (so the onions don’t catch), until tender. Remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chopped thyme leaves and cook for a further 15 minutes, until very soft and lightly golden. Remove the pan from the heat. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside to cool slightly.
- 4. Punch back the risen dough to knock out the air, tip out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Using a rolling pin, roll out to a rectangle measuring about 35 x 30cm and place the dough on a large, lightly oiled baking sheet. Set aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7.
- 5. Spread the cooked onions over the dough, then top with the olives, anchovies and extra thyme sprigs. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the base is cooked through and pale golden around the edges.
- 6. Garnish the pissaladière with the thyme sprigs, then cut into squares. Serve while it’s hot.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 457kcals, 15.3g fat (2.2g saturated), 12.9g protein, 71.3g carbs, 16.3g sugar, 2.1g salt
Chef's tip
If making bread from scratch sounds like too much of a labour of love, then buy a packet of good-quality white bread mix. Follow the instructions on the bread packet and you’ll cut your preparation time in half.
Wine Recommendation
Wine note: The anchovies dominate here, so match with a light, crisp white - southern French Picpoul de Pinet or even Italian Pinot Grigio. You could try a very soft, fruity red.