Grilled Fennel Flatbread with Olives and Sultanas

By • April 5, 2012 • 6 Comments


Author Notes: The dough for this recipe is adapted from Jim Lahey’s wonderful book My Bread, which has been out on the kitchen counter from the day I got it. I love the aroma of fennel and the salty-sweet combination of olives, feta, and golden raisins, but this dough is a true blank canvas–experiment away!Girl Farm Kitchen

Food52 Review: WHO: Girl Farm Kitchen started a food blog after working on a biodynamic farm in California.
WHAT: An easy flatbread with the right amount of salt, crunch, and sweetness.
HOW: The dough is based on Jim Lahey's no-knead recipe. Then top with an olive spread, sliced fennel, sultanas (golden raisins), and cheese, and toss it in the oven.
WHY WE LOVE IT: We love the way that the sultanas are worked into the olive spread and the topping itself, so that each bite guarantees a hint of sweetness. The creaminess of the feta and the crunch from the fennel give this flatbread a great texture -- and make it fun to eat.
A&M

Serves 4

For the dough:

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2/3 cups water
  1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and then mix in water with your hands to form a moist dough (add a bit more water or flour if dough is too dry or sticky). Cover and let sit at room temp for 2 hours (longer is alright too).
  2. For the second rise, loosely shape dough into a ball (it will have increased in size) and set on a well-floured plate. Cover with a damp towel and let sit at least half an hour.

For the topping:

  • 2/3 cups Kalamata olives
  • 1 handful fresh thyme
  • 1 splash olive oil
  • 2/3 cups Sultana raisins (golden raisins)
  • 2 fennel bulbs
  • dashes red pepper flakes
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large cube feta cheese
  • honey, for drizzling
  1. To make the olive spread, add the first three ingredients to a blender with 1/3 cup of the sultanas and pulse until roughly blended. Set aside. Slice the fennel into thin slivers and toss with red pepper flakes, lemon juice, half the parmesan, the other 1/3 cup sultanas and a splash of olive oil.
  2. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Spread out the dough on a well-oiled cookie sheet by stretching it first the full length of the pan and then the width, gently nudging it outwards until the whole sheet is covered. Cover the dough evenly with the olive spread, then arrange the sliced fennel mixture on top. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta and other half parmesan and drizzle with honey, then bake at 500 degrees until crust is crispy and toppings are browned, about 15-20 minutes.
  • This recipe is a Wildcard Contest Winner!

Comments (6) Questions (0)

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11 days ago Cheri Sullivan

Sounds wonderful, but what quantity is "1 large cube feta"? I buy mine by the ounce.

Pict1821

2 months ago lindsayjean

Lindsay-Jean is a Contributing Editor of Food52.

This is ridiculously good! I made it last night for dinner, and was thrilled to have leftovers to devour this morning for breakfast.

Sadiepertavatar

4 months ago Diana B

A question about the second rise. Do you punch down the first rise, or knead the dough between rises?

Sausage2

4 months ago fiveandspice

Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.

YUM!!!!!! This looks perfect! Congrats on the wild card!

Dsc_6749

4 months ago em-i-lis

Emily is a trusted source on General Cooking.

Ooh, delish! This is right up my alley!

Dsc_0028

4 months ago cookbookchick

This looks fabulous -- can hardly wait to give it a go! Thanks, gfk!