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Tortas de aceite sevillanas
Crisp olive-oil flatbreads with anise
Tortas de aceite: crisp, paper-thin Seville olive-oil flatbreads with anise and sugar
Castilleja de la Cuesta, just west of Seville, has made these hand-pressed tortas for well over a century, and across Andalusia they are dunked into morning coffee or eaten as an afternoon snack. The dough is little more than flour, olive oil infused with anise and sesame, and a pinch of yeast, rolled until you can almost see through it and baked with a crust of sugar. Chef's tip: roll each torta directly on the baking paper you will bake it on; the dough is too thin to lift without tearing.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp aniseed
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp orange zestfinely grated
- 10 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup waterlukewarm
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugarfor sprinkling
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Warm ½ cup extra virgin olive oil in a small pan over a low heat with 2 tsp aniseed, 2 tbsp sesame seeds and 1 tsp orange zest for 1–2 minutes, until the seeds sizzle gently and smell sweet. Take it off the heat before the sesame colours and let it cool to warm.
2 minStep 2: Mix 10 oz plain flour, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Add the flavoured oil with its seeds and ½ cup water and knead for 3–4 minutes into a soft, smooth, oily dough.
5 minStep 3: Cover and rest for 45 minutes, until slightly puffy. Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan).
45 minStep 4: Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Roll each one out directly on a sheet of baking paper into a round about 15–17 cm across and as thin as you can manage, about 1 mm.
Step 5: Sprinkle each torta with 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar and press it in lightly with your palm. A common mistake is being shy with the sugar: it melts into the glassy, crackly top that makes a torta.
Step 6: Slide the paper onto a baking tray and bake for 6–8 minutes, until golden brown at the edges, with the sugar melted and bubbling in patches. Bake in batches.
15 minStep 7: Cool on a rack; they crisp up completely as they cool. Keep in an airtight tin for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tortas de aceite sevillanas take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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 aniseed?
- Fennel seeds, same amount (milder).
- What can I use instead of sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
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