Now that I have a proper sourdough starter I tend to make a large loaf whenever I need one, but apart from the type of flour I put in, I rarely vary what I’m baking. I wanted to try sourdough as a flatbread with some homegrown tomatoes, partly to make something different with sourdough, and partly to show off my tomatoes from the greenhouse as I was so pleased to have produced them. They really do taste so much better than shop bought tomatoes. The sourdough makes a chewy flatbread but it is really tasty.

Cherry tomatoes from the greenhouse

I actually made double the quantity of sourdough below and used half for a loaf at the same time. I really should have just made two flatbreads instead as this one lasted no time at all. If you need fuller instructions for sourdough please read my Success with a Sourdough Starter post.

Recipe

Ingredients

For the sponge:

About 75ml sourdough starter

125g strong bread flour

140ml water

For the dough:

150g strong bread flour

2 teaspoons olive oil

5g salt

For the topping:

125g mozzarella

About a dozen cherry tomatoes

A large handful of basil leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Make the sourdough sponge:

Put the starter, flour and water into a bowl and mix well.

Cover with clingfilm and leave overnight until the mixture is thick and bubbling.

Make the dough:

When the sponge is ready, add the flour, olive oil and salt and mix to a dough.

Turn out and knead for around 5-10 minutes until smooth and silky.

Put the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with oiled clingfilm or a tea towel. Leave until it has doubled in size.

Carefully turn the dough out onto a large floured baking tray and spread it out using your fingers to form a thin, level base.

Cover and leave to rest for an hour or so.

Set the oven to 200°C.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them evenly over the top of the dough:

Tear or cut up your mozzarella and distribute it evenly over the flatbread.

Bake for around 15-20 minutes, until the topping is well browned and bubbling and the bread is browning.

Mix a couple of tablespoons of oil with the chopped basil.

Use a pastry brush to spread it over the bread as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Enjoy hot or cold. Delicious!

Categories: Baking, Bread, Gardening, Recipes, Starters and snacks

Tags: baking, basil, bread, mozzarella, recipe, sourdough, tomatoes