Ladenia is simple focaccia-like bread with tomatoes, onions and herbs pressed into the cushion-like dough, perfect when it is hot from the oven with gleaming olive oil and crunchy grains of sea salt. Almost like a Greek pizza, ladenia hail from the Cycladic Islands and are particularly famous on the beautiful white rock island of Milos and Kimilos. Along with a fresh green salad, a slice of ladenia makes a perfect and simple lunch.
Ladenia
Λαδένια
Ingredients
- 10 g dried yeast
- 10 g caster sugar
- 350 ml warm water
- 500 g plain four sifted
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- EVOO
- Semolina flour for the baking tray
- 1-2 to matoes sliced
- 1 onion sliced
- Rosemary and dried oregano
Instructions
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Combine the warm water, dried yeast and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix to combine. Add the plain flour, salt and mix to incorporate all the flour. You should have a sticky dough.
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Grease a tray with olive oil and dust with a little semolina. Using a spatula, scrape the dough into the oiled tray. Rub the dough with a little oil and set aside to rise for about 30 minutes. After this, stretch the dough from underneath to fill the prepared tray. Allow it to rise for a second time, again for about 30 minutes.
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Preheat your oven to 240C. Drizzle over a little more oil and use your finger tips to make some indents in the dough. Then add your slices of tomato and onion, plus some rosemary leaves and dried Greek oregano. Drizzle over some more oil. Season generously with sea salt and bake until golden (about 15 minutes). As you take the tray out of the oven add another drizzle of oil (yes, more!) and then let the bread rest in the tray for about 20 minutes, then serve.
