Ingredients
All purpose flour / Maida – 3 cups
Tepid / Lukewarm water – 1¼ cups
Active dry yeast – 2 tsp
Brown sugar – 1 tsp
Dried oregano – 1 tsp
Fine salt – 1 tsp
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
For topping
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Cherry tomatoes – a few cut in halves
Dried basil – 1 tsp
Black olives – a few (pitted, halved)
Green olives – a few (pitted, halved)
Preparation
Take lukewarm / tepid water around 45C/115F, add brown sugar and active dry yeast. Let it rest for 10 minutes until it becomes frothy and you see some bubbles around.
There are 3 major reasons for yeast not to get active –
- Lukewarm water is not up to the temperature for the yeast to get activated.
- Water is too hot, so does it kill the yeast.
- Yeast must have expired. Check on the package date before use.
To the leavened yeast mixture, add dried oregano and salt. Take 3 cups of all purpose flour and add to leavened yeast mixture.
Mix until it comes together as a sticky dough. Add olive oil and knead the dough. Knead the dough until it becomes pliable.
Cover with a lid and let the dough rest for 2 hours or at least an hour.
After 2 hours, the dough has doubled in size.
Deflate and place the dough on a greased or parchment lined baking square pan.
Stretch the dough to even thickness and coverage.
Let it rest for another hour. After an hour, poke the dough randomly and place the halved cherry tomatoes, pitted olives in the poked holes.
Take a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl and mix dried basil.
Drizzle the herb oil over the dough.
Bake the dough in the preheated oven at 200 C or 400 F for 20 minutes or until the crust turns crisp and golden brown. Place the tray in the upper top rack while baking.
Once done, let the bread cool down.
Slice them into squares and serve warm with any dip or just olive oil.
Happy Dining !!
TummyTunes 