When life hands you lemons, make Lemon and Rosemary Flatbread. I saw this recipe in my Waitrose Food magazine, supplied by a chef at The Artichoke Restaurant in Amersham. Since I love lemon flavored anything, I decided to give it a go on Easter Sunday. It was delicious, aromatic and zesty.
My dog thought so too. She helped herself to the second piece the next day while I was out, spoiling my plans to have it with tomato soup. Chef Laurie Gear serves it with Watercress Soup & Mushroom and Spinach Beignets, which I'll try another day.
Now, who says vegans only eat rabbit food?
Lemon and Rosemary Flatbread
1 package yeast
1 cup tepid water
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus another 1/4 cup for kneading
1 teaspoon salt
3 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
milk to glaze, optional
coarse sea salt, to finish
Dissolve the yeast and honey or sugar in 1/2 cup water, and set aside for 30 minutes. Mix the flour with the salt in a big bowl. Make a well in the middle. Pour in the yeast mixture and begin to slowly bring in more and more of the flour until the yeast mixture is soaked up. At this point add the finely chopped rosemary, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Then pour the remaining tepid water into the center, gradually incorporating all the flour to make a moist dough.
Knead the dough on a floured board for at least 5 minutes until it becomes silky.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Leave in a warm place to rise, about 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Meanwhile grease two baking pans and dust with flour.
Knock the air out of the dough and knead again briefly. Divide in half and use a rolling pin (or a wine bottle) to roll each piece into an oval the size of a large naan bread. Place on the baking trays and score six shallow slits on top of each flatbread. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt. Leave to rise for a second time, until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400° F. Bake the flatbreads for 20-30 minutes until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the base. Tear into pieces and serve warm.
Notes on ingredients: Amounts were originally in metric weight. I didn't add the milk glaze. My dog didn't mind. If you don't have a lemon zester (and who does?) peel a thin layer from the lemon with a vegetable peeler (avoid the white part) and mince finely.
