Ingredients

Method

• 1 x 10 g sachet yeast
• 1 T salt
• 2 T honey
• 1½ cups lukewarm water
• 2 T olive oil, plus extra to grease
• 500 g cake flour
• a few sprigs rosemary
• cuttings of young olive branch (optional)
• sea salt crystals
• 80 g Parma ham, for serving

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 210°C.
In a medium-sized bowl, dissolve the yeast, salt and honey in the lukewarm water. Add the olive oil and ¾ of the flour and mix well.
Dust a work surface with the remaining flour, then turn out the dough onto it and knead until smooth and elastic (add a little more flour if the dough is still too sticky). Place the dough in an oiled mixing bowl and cover with clingfilm.
Set aside to proof in a warm place. When the dough has doubled in volume, gently turn it out onto a well-oiled baking sheet and flatten into a large sheet, about 2 cm thick.
Stud with rosemary and olive sprigs, if using, and sprinkle generously with sea salt crystals.
Allow to proof again in a warm place for a further 15 minutes, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crusty.
Break into chunks and serve with shavings of Parma ham.

Cook’s note: The dough can also be transformed into individual rolls by simply breaking off evenly sized chunks and shaping them into balls.