To Bread, From The Library

Stuffed Semolina Flatbread with Olive Tapenade

Not many things in this world are better than bread, specifically fresh bread—all of the options in all of their glory. In fact, I employ any one of you to present me with a category of goods that is better than the one that the croissant, brioche, challah, sourdough, scone, and bagel fall into, the category that bore the sandwich (impossible challenge). So today, entering my tenth hour of having my ass sat on the top floor of my university library, eating my nature valley bar, writing a dissertation whose thesis changes every day whilst those around me prepare for their respective all-nighters to study for exams in courses they definitely don’t care about by now, I am thinking about bread. Specifically a recipe that I developed last summer. Stuffed bread, flat bread, cream cheese filling, and olive tapenade. I’m thinking about the first time I finally got the recipe right when it didn’t virtually melt in the pan into a sloppy mess. I remember the steam rising from one as I ripped it open; I remember feeling more accomplished by completing this recipe than I’ll probably feel come terms end… but no need to compare. 

Here’s what I know about this recipe. 1) The semolina flour is worth using. The texture it introduces is what distinguishes this flatbread dough from the store-bought ones that you pop into the toaster. It’s almost course and uniquely holds its shape, remarkably contrasting and clinging to the creaminess of the filling. I almost feel as though if I had just used normal flour, not only would the two textures feel strangely separate, but the dough may have been a bit chewy, along the lines of DIY cement in your mouth (that’s dramatic). 2) Definitely measure the dough ingredients. I do what I can to stay away from measuring, but baking is baking, and bread deserves the extra attention. 3) I’m not that much of a black olive girl, nor am I much of a caper girl. But maybe this recipe changed me in that respect, the balance that it gets from the cream cheese and mint… I can taste it right now, months past our first meeting. 

I’d say this is among the best recipes I have ever made; it’s a textural and flavorful masterpiece. Another one of those occasions that could be met with the initial ‘overcomplicated’ critique, but believe me when I say this isn’t just a salad of flavors and textures thrown together to make a jumble of confusion which ultimately lands on ‘having potential.’ This has layers. It does what food should always do; it tells a story of how the flavors met and paints colors for all the reasons that they love each other

Ingredients 

• Dough 

  • 400g semolina flour*

  • 340g greek yogurt 

  • 2 tbsp plain flour

• Cream cheese filling 

  • Half block crumbled feta 

  • 3 tbsp cream cheese 

  • Bunch of mint, chopped

  • 2 cups spinach, wilted in boiling water, drained and squeezed, roughly chopped 

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 

  • Black pepper

• Olive dressing 

  • 1 cup pitted olives, roughly chopped 

  • Bunch of parsley, chopped 

  • 1 tbsp capers

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice 

  • ½ tbsp agave 

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

*provided by The Tree St Andrews

Procedure 

• Using your hands, mix together the ingredients for the dough and kneed until you have a bouncy dough, about two minutes. Cover in seran wrap or with a kitchen towel and set aside. 

• Make the mixtures for the filling by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Adjust for any seasonings. 

  • Remember, you can put anything (that isn't too wet, oily, or liquidy) in the filling! This is a good chance to use up nearly off ingredients or leftovers. 

• Lightly emulsify all of the ingredients for the olive dressing, leaving it pretty chunky, set aside. 

• Once the dough has rested for about thirty minutes (if not more), cut it into 8 equal pieces. Dust a surface and your hands with plain flour and gently shape the balls of dough into flat circles with a 4-6 inch diameter; try not to make them too thin so that they are able to support the filling. Once shaped, add a good dollop of the mixture into the center of the dough circle. Fold over the edges to envelope the mixture and meet each side at the top to seal the dough together; flip it over and press down so to seal the mixture in and flatten the balls of dough gently. Dust in more flour as well as a sprinkle of semolina flour, and set aside. 

• Heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, fry your flatbreads on both sides until golden, keeping an eye to ensure they do not burn. 

• Serve topped with olive dressing, any extra feta, and parsley.