Baking is a therapeutic (and delicious) way to spend any spare lockdown hours. Having made this for NHS hospital workers, friends and family alike, I can confirm it’ll win the favour of anyone who tries it. I like roasted red onion, garlic and rosemary on top of mine, but you could use sundried tomato, a good cheese (like Taleggio) or even keep it plain. 

Ingredients: 

Dough:

700g strong white bread flour

500ml warm water

40g caster sugar

20g good quality sea salt

1 sachet/7g dried yeast

Good quality extra virgin olive oil

Topping:

2 red onions, sliced

Bunch of fresh rosemary

6 cloves of garlic

Freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 celsius. Toss your sliced onion in a glug of olive oil, salt and pepper, before roast for 15-20 minutes until they look caramelised and taste sweet.

Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and slowly pour the water in whilst mixing together, until a rough dough forms. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead by pushing and pulling until the dough is smooth and elastic. Oil the dough, cover with a damp tea towel and leave somewhere warm (on top of a boiler works well) until it’s doubled in size.

Heat a large amount of olive oil (5 or 6 tablespoons) in a pan. Add finely chopped rosemary and garlic and fry on a low heat until the garlic just starts to brown. Take off the heat and set aside.

Turn the dough out into an oiled tray, shaping it to fill the space. Then poke holes all over – these will collect delicious pools of oil. Top with the infused oil, your roasted red onion and a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and bake at 220 Celsius until golden.

Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then slice, serve and enjoy!

More recipes to try in lockdown:

Banana Bread

Easter Bake