Sundried Tomato Flatbread

equipment: baking stone

BY HAND: 1-Combine the milk and 1/2 cup of the water in the bowl of a
heavy-duty electric mixer or in a large mixing bowl. 2-Sprinkle the yeast
over the mixture, stir in, and let sit for 2 minutes. 3-Mix in 1 cup of the
bread flour with the dough hook (or knead in by hand). 4-Cover the bowl
with plastic wrap and let sit for 2-1/2 hours. 5-In a food processor, puree
half of the rehydrated sun dried tomatoes and the olive oil. Add to the
bowl. 6-Add the remaining 1/2 cup water, the remaining 1 cup bread flour,
and the semolina, salt and pepper. 7-Mix with the dough hook (or knead by
hand) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough appears silky and resilient.
8-Coarsely chop the remaining sun dried tomtoes. 9-Mix or knead the chopped
sundried tomatoes, oregano, and parsley into the dough until evenly
distributed. 10-Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with
plastic wrap. 11-Let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. 12-Turn over a
baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina flour. Set aside.
13-Place the dough on a work surface generously sprinkled with semolina
flour and cut into 2 equal pieces. 14-Gently pull and stretch each piece of
dough into an 8-inch round or a 7-inch square. 15-Press each flatbread into
the semolina flour, then flip to coat the other side. 16-Transfer to the
prepared baking sheet. 17-Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm
place for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 18-Place a baking stone on the middle rake
in the oven and preheat to 450F. 19-Using a spray bottle, spritz the
ovenwalls with water. Work quckly so the oven does not lose heat. 20-Slide
the flatbreads onto the hot Stone. 21-Bake tor 14 to 16 minutes, or until
the bread browns. 22-Transfer the flatbreads to a rack to cool completely
before cutting. Yield: 2 flatbreads

ABM :To prepare the dough in a bread machine: *Combine all the ingredients,
except the sundried tomatoes and herbs, in the bread pan in the order
specified by the manufacturer’s instructions. *Process on the dough setting
(#9). *When the system is complete, turn the dough out on a well-floured
work surface. *Pick up the recipe with step 9.

SOURCES: Red Sage, Washington, DC, a sister restaurant of Mark Miller’s
Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe. Flavored Breads (1996) Mark Miller and Andrew
MacLauchlan (Ten Speed Press ISBN 0898158621). phannema@wizard.ucr.edu

BOOKNOTEs: most people think tomatoes originated in Italy, but they are
another of the great botanical and culinary gifts that the New World gave
the Old World. The same misconception applies to the provenance of Undried
tomatoes; the practice of sun drying tomatoes began in the Spanish missions
of the Southwest and California, and was probably based on the Native
American tradition of sundrying foods.

Bread goes well with pastas, pestos, eggplant dishes, and most Italian or
Provencal blends. Try this bread at cocktail hour with a hearty Rioja wine,
or for sandwiches with goat cheese or coppacola ham. If you use sundried
tomatoes packed in oil rather than rehydrating the (unsalted) tomatoes, use
only 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil in this recipe.