Flatbread with Roasted Shallots and Garlic
Serves 6.
Caramelizing shallots and garlic with a little sugar really brings out their sweetness. Simmering them in wine adds a nice acidic counter note. Top the dough with this delicious mixture and you have a flatbread that your friends and family will really love served alongside soups, stews, or solo, for munching. Forget the jasmine-scented candles: bake some of this delicious bread and your home will smell heavenly for hours.
DOUGH
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 cup warm (110 F) water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
TOPPING
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
25 small shallots
20 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups dry red wine, such as Dolcetto or Barbera
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the dough, in a large bowl, mix together the yeast, 1/2 cup of the flour, and 1/2 cup of the warm water. Let stand until the mixture bubbles up, about 30 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup water, olive oil, rosemary, and salt. Mix the dough thoroughly and knead on a floured board until soft, yet still moist, 7 to 8 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning once. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place (about 75 F) until doubled in volume, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
For the topping, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, stir well, and cook until the sugar caramelizes, about 4 minutes. Add 2 cups of the wine, cover, and simmer over low heat until the onions are soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cover, add the remaining 1 cup wine, and continue to simmer until the wine has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool.
Thirty minutes before baking, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 500 F.
Punch down the dough. On a floured surface, form the dough into a ball. Let rest for 5 minutes. Roll the dough into a 9 by 12-inch oval, 1/2-inch thick. Transfer to a well-floured pizza peel. Distribute the shallots and garlic on top of the flatbread and press them into the dough slightly. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Slide the flatbread onto the pizza stone and bake until golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
TO DRINK: Dolcetto or Barbera
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