2025 National Festival of Breads Finalist

Susan Simpson

Delaware

INGREDIENTS

3 cups (13.5 ounces) King Arthur® Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting

4 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes

1 1/3 cups full-fat or low-fat buttermilk, cold

1 large egg, cold

½ cup olive oil, divided

Toppings

6 - 8 pitted olives, black or green 1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes in oil, patted dry

1 small red onion

2 - 3 teaspoons dried oregano

Sprinkling of garlic powder, optional

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, kosher salt or other coarse salt 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until pea-sized pieces are formed.

In small bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg until smooth. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just blended and some dry bits of flour remain. Do not overwork the mixture.

Lightly flour a large sheet of parchment paper; place the shaggy dough onto it. With floured hands press the dough into a rectangle approximately 1” thick.

Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper and stack one half on top of the other. Repeat the process of pressing, cutting and stacking three more times, dusting the parchment paper with flour as needed. Wrap layered dough in parchment and chill while you prepare the pan and toppings.

Pour 6 tablespoons olive oil into 13 x 9-inch baking pan; tilt to coat bottom and set aside. Slice the olives, cut tomatoes into thin strips and slice onion into thin crescent shapes.

Remove dough from refrigerator; place in pan and press evenly until 1” from sides. The oil will make crispy edges when baked. With a bench scraper, precut (but do not remove) the dough into 15 rectangles, three down by five across.

Press vegetables firmly into dough, starting in the center since the dough will push toward the edges as you work. Place pan in freezer 5 minutes to ensure the dough is cold before baking.

Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil on top of vegetables and sprinkle with oregano and garlic powder. Bake 18 - 22 minutes or until deeply browned at the edges and lightly browned on top. While hot from the oven, drizzle on remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle on salt. Best served warm.

Yield: 15 servings.