Ingredients for yeast dough
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons butter – very cold
1 egg
1 tablespoon dry yeast
Salt
A little water
To make yeast dough
Dissolve the yeast in 2 – 3 tablespoons tepid water.
In a large bowl, add a good pinch of salt to the flour and mix. Cut the butter into flour using a pastry blender, two knives or by cutting the butter into small pieces and rubbing it into the flour with your fingers.
Make a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture, and put the egg and yeast into the center of the well. Beat the egg and yeast in the center to mix.
Mix and knead the dough until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, you may need to add an additional 4 – 5 tablespoons of flour to keep the dough from sticking,
Roll the dough into a ball, cut an “x” on top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap or a floured cloth and leave in a warm place to rise, preferably for two hours, or for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Ingredients for filling
4 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 – 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 -2 cloves crushed or minced garlic
12 – 15 good quality anchovies, rinsed and drained
12 – 15 nicoise olives, pitted
To make filling and prepare tart
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet or pan, cook the onions in olive oil very gently until soft and translucent.. Do not rush this step as you want the onions very soft and not fried. Cook for 25 – 35 minutes over a medium low heat, covering to steam if you wish. Add thyme and bay leaf and cook a few minutes more.
Add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and garlic. Cook over low heat until the onios and tomatoes are well mixed and the water from the tomatoes has evaporated, about 10 – 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
Press risen dough into a tart pan or press free-form on a baking sheet (lightly greased, or use non-stick tart pan or baking sheet). Spread onion filling over the dough and arrange anchovies in a pattern.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, remove pan from oven and arrange olives on top of tart. Return to oven and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or unitl crust is golden.
Serve hot or room temperatute as an hors d’oeuvre, or cold for a picnic.
From Ann Clark, La Bonne Cuiine School, Austin, Texas
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