Overnight Zhug Bread
It’s not pizza, it’s not focaccia and it’s not pide — but it is delicious. Do an overnight prove in the fridge to add a little funky flavour to the bread. You could let this slow-prove for up to three days in the fridge, but I am too impatient to wait that long for my carbs. It’s important to preheat your oven before you get going on this one. The highest possible heat is key.
Serves 6-8.
Ingredients 10
Dough
1 sachet active dry yeast, 7 g
Pinch salt, very generous
2 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
375 ml warm water
500 g 00 flour, plus more on hand depending on how the dough is responding and for kneading
To Top
100 g stracciatella cheese
125 g zhug, see my recipe
coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
salt, to season
black pepper, freshly ground, to season
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Method 9
For the dough, add the dried , , , and to a jug. Set aside for 15 minutes or until you see some bubbles on the surface of the mixture. If you don’t see any activity it means your yeast is dead and it’s important to start again here. If the weather is particularly cold, it may take a little longer for the bubbles to show.
Add the to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the warm water mixture and beat until a uniform dough forms. If after about 5 minutes it still feels too sticky, add a little more flour and beat until the dough appears smooth.
Transfer the dough to a large airtight container (it will increase in size) and place in the fridge overnight to prove.
Remove the dough from the fridge about 30 minutes before starting to cook and let it stand at room temperature.
Preheat your oven to as high as it can go (285°C/545°F).
Stretch out the dough on a piece of baking paper to about the same size as a large heavy-based cast-iron pan (approximately 40 cm diameter) or heavy-based frying pan, creating a little bit of a border with thicker dough around the circumference.
Add the to the centre and spread it out, leaving a good 5 cm (2 in) border all the way around. Top with half the and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the cast-iron pan or heavy-based frying pan over high heat until very hot. Drop the paper holding the dough into the frying pan and transfer the pan to the oven. Cook for about 7–10 minutes or until the dough is cooked through and risen around the edges and it looks puffed and deeply golden.
Drizzle with a little , dollop over the remaining and scatter the coriander leaves on top. Season with salt and pepper and serve gloriously hot.
