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Ladenia
Ladenia: Kimolos olive-oil flatbread topped with tomato, onion and oregano
On tiny Kimolos, a short boat ride from Milos, ladenia was the bread women baked in the village oven on bread-making day, pressing dough into a tray, covering it with tomato and onion and soaking it in olive oil. It is soft and airy inside with a crisp, oily base, a little like a focaccia, and is eaten warm or cold, cut into squares, with olives and cheese. Common mistake: piling on wet tomato, which sinks the dough; slice it thin and salt it first. Chef's tip: use your fingertips to press deep dimples into the risen dough so the oil and tomato juices pool and soak in.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
For the topping
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Add 1 ½ cups warm water and 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and knead for 8–10 minutes into a soft, slightly sticky, elastic dough.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 3: Pour half the remaining oil (3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil) into a 30 × 40 cm baking tray. Press the dough out to fill the tray, cover and rise for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 4: Meanwhile, lay 3 ripe tomatoes on a plate and sprinkle with a pinch of the 1 tsp sea salt flakes to draw out a little juice. Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan).
Step 5: Press deep dimples all over the dough with oiled fingertips. Arrange the tomato and 1 red onion on top, pour over the rest of 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp dried oregano and the remaining salt.
Step 6: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the base is golden and crisp and the tomatoes are blistered at the edges.
30 minStep 7: Cool in the tray for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ladenia take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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