Book club bread

Book club bread

(stuffed feta and caramelised onion bread)

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp instant yeast

3/4 cup - 1 cup lukewarm water

2 tblsp oil

 

Combine flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, and add 3/4 cup water and the oil. Mix to form a soft dough, adding more water if required.

 

Place on a floured bench and knead lightly for 2 minutes.

 

Place in an oiled bowl and leave to (roughly) double in size (up to an hour - ideally while you caramelise the onions).

 

For the caramelised onions:

 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

3 large red onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan. Add the onions and garlic, then add a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally.

 

Stir in the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Cook gently, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced to a thick and sticky consistency, with no liquid left in the pan. This can take a good 25-30 minutes.

 

To assemble:

 

Knead out the dough for about 5 minutes. Roll it out into a big square on a tray lined with baking paper.

 

Spread over the onions, leaving about a 2cm border around the edge. Crumble over about 150g of  feta (or blue cheese works well). Fold the dough square carefully into three, lightly pressing down the sides. Rub the top with a little oil, and a few fennel seeds, or some sea salt and a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary.

 

Bake for 25-30mins at 200C until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush over a little more oil while it's still hot.

 

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature as part of a platter.