Crusty Bread & Whipped Feta

Nothing says Summer like the simplicity of warm crusty bread topped with salty whipped feta and seasonal tomatoes. Add some high quality store bought anchovy fillets in extra virgin olive oil for an extra treat.

Ingredients

For the Bread:

• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour, more for dusting

• 7 grams dry yeast

• 12 grams salt

For the whipped feta:

• 200g feta

• 100g ricotts

• 60g Sour Cream

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• Salt & Pepper to taste

To serve:

• 2 tomatoes, seeds discarded, flesh cut into small cubes

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp Herbes de Provence (Dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried marjoram, dried oregano, dried lavender)

Method

For the Bread:

In a medium bowl, mix yeast into 3 cups lukewarm water and let sit for a couple minutes. In a large bowl, put flour and salt and mix thoroughly.

Once yeast mixture is nicely mixed and has sat for 2 minutes, pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until completely combined with no dry patches. Dough should be very loose and sticky.

Note: This is a very slack (wet) dough – it should feel quite sticky when mixed. This dough will not form into a smooth, elastic ball like other breads you may have made before, as it will become more elastic as the gluten developed whilst it’s left to rise. If you feel that when you have reached this step the consistency is far too wet - add a bit more flour (1/4 cup at a time) to ensure dough is at the right consistency.

Cover with clingfilm leaving an opening on one of sides so it’s not completely airtight. Allow dough to rise at room temperature for 2 hours.

When ready to bake, sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough, turn dough in your hands to stretch the surface, pulling the dough down to create a smooth top and a lumpy bottom. Sprinkle flour liberally on your chosen baking surface (this can be a deep baking dish or a cast iron round casserole), and place dough on it, messy side down. Let rest for 40 minutes at room temperature.

Pre-heat oven to 230° celcius (210° for fan assisted ovens), and place a wide oven tray (wide enough to comfortably fit your baking surface) on the middle rack.

Dust the dough with flour, and using a serrated knife, slash the smooth top of the bread three times (not deep but just enough to break the surface). Place the baking dish with bread in the centre of the tray in the oven, and immediately pour 1 large cup of hot water, quickly closing the oven door to trap steam and allow it to circulate. Bake until well browned, around 30 minutes.

For the Whipped Feta:

In a food processor, blitz the feta, garlic, ricotta, lemon juice, sour cream and olive oil until combined, light in colour and airy. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Spoon the whipped feta into a shallow bowl, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of Maldon salt on top, and finish with the Herbes de Provence.

Serve with warm fresh bread (or toasted bread if it’s a day or so old), spoon the whipped feta on to the bread and top with the tomato.