Inspired by my hamburger bun baking, I wanted more, this time a different type of bread.  Maybe a bit bigger than buns.  I went back to the Making Fresh Bread cookbook, and there it was: the good looking sounding simple enough recipe for a flatbread.

I cannot go wrong with this, I thought, so I didn’t change anything in it (I am not yet ready to modify bread recipes).  I had everything at hand that was needed, even a rosemary bush in our garden, so the baking began.  You can try to bake this too – it’s delicious and really easy to make.  But pay attention not to burn the onion rings (as I did).

white bread flour – 4 cups + extra for dusting
salt – ½ teaspoon
active dry yeast – 1½ teaspoons
fresh rosemary, chopped – 2 tablespoons + small sprigs to garnish
extra virgin olive oil – 5 tablespoons + extra for brushing
lukewarm water – 1½ cups
red onion – 1
coarse sea salt – 2-3 tablespoons

Add the salt to the flour and sift together into a large bowl.  Add the yeast and rosemary.  Make a well in the center of this mixture and pour in the oil and water.  Use a wooden spoon to stir well to bring the dough together.  Then knead it by hand on a lightly floured work surface or use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment until it’s smooth and elastic (maybe 10 minutes by hand).  Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with a damp dish towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until it doubles in volume.

Prepare the baking sheet by brushing it with oil or covering it with parchment paper.  Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, punch it down, and knead a little bit.  Roll it out to a disk (diameter 30 cm (12 inches)) and place it on the baking sheet.  Leave it covered with the dish towel in a warm place to rise for 20-30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).  Uncover the bread and make dents over the surface of it.  Cut the onion into rings, place them over the bread.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the rosemary sprigs, and bake for about 5 more minutes, until it’s golden brown.  Cool slightly.  It’s the best when served warm.