Pissaladiere is a traditional flatbread from Nice topped with slow cooked onions and anchovies. Feel free to substitute the bread dough for puff pastry.
INGREDIENTS
- 50g olive oil
- 10g dry yeast
- 300g luke warm water
- 550g bread flour
- 8g fine salt
- 6 medium sized white onions (peeled and sliced into 1cm slices)
- 120g sugar
- 80g cold salted butter
- Best quality anchovies (cut into squares)
- Black olives (pitted and halved)
- Thyme leaves (picked)
- Chive flowers
- Fleur de sel
METHOD
First make the bread dough. Activate the yeast by mixing it in a large bowl with the water, allowing it to sit for a few minutes until it starts to foam. Now add the flour, olive oil and salt and mix until it forms a smooth dough. Knead on a bench until you have some nice resistance to the dough. Add back to the bowl and cover with a cloth until it doubles in size. Meanwhile, in a large stainless steel pan over medium high heat, cook the onion slices with no oil until it has a nice dark char on one side (They should still be fairly raw). In a large tart tatin dish lined with greaseproof paper lay fine slices of butter evenly at the base of the pan, sprinkle with sugar and lay the onions (charred side down) in one layer. When the bread dough has doubled in size, knock the dough down and add back over the onion layer. Prove again till light and bubbly. Drizzle some more olive oil and fleur de sel. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°c for 30-40 minutes or until the bread is fully cooked. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Using a plate or a pan to support, flip the bread over. Peel off the parchment paper and garnish with anchovies, black olives, thyme and chive flowers. Season with fleur de sel.
