Fluffy Pan-Fried Bread with Garlic & Herbs

Recipe by: Simon Toohey

You will need

Serves 6-8

  • 250g of warm water

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar

  • 5g dried yeast

  • 300g of bread flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • Additional olive oil, for coating dough

For the garlic and herbs

  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

  • 1/2 bunch dill, finely diced

  • 1/2 bunch parsley, finely diced

  • 1/4 red onion, finely diced

  • 1 long red chilli, finely diced

  • Pinch of salt

  • Big grind of pepper

  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

24 hours to prep

20 mins to cook

Step 1

Add the water, oil, sugar and yeast to a bowl and let rest for 5 minutes. Then sprinkle in the flour and salt and mix with your hands, making sure there are no dry bits of dough. This dough will be super wet.

Step 2

Knead the dough into a nice dough ball. Then drizzle a little extra olive oil into the bowl (maybe 1/2 tbsp) and swirl the dough ball around in it to coat it lightly and evenly, and place a tea towel or lid over it to rest for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Wet your hands and gently stretch each of four ‘sides’ of the dough ball and fold them into the centre, one by one. Cover it to rest. Every 20 minutes, repeat this process, until you’ve done the stretches/folds 4 times. Place the bowl into the fridge overnight and let it rest until it is time to use. If you forget to do it the day before, leave the mixture out of the fridge until it is time to use. (Ideally, allow it to rest for at least a few hours.)

Step 4

If you’ve refrigerated it overnight, then two hours before the dough is to be used, take it out of the fridge and let it prove and rise again.

Step 5

For the herby topping: Place the garlic in a pan with the 1/4 cup olive oil on low heat, just to cook off the rawness. Then pour this mixture into a bowl to cool. Add the chopped herbs, onion, chilli, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and zest. Mix together.

Step 6

To fry your bread: Place a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. With olive oil on your fingers, pick up a portion of the dough and pinch off a section with your fingers. Shape the dough into a disk shape, about 2cm thick and 12cm wide (though the width is up to you!). Place it in the heated pan, and cook until lightly golden and then flip, cooking until lightly golden on the second side.

Step 7

Top with the herbs and garlic mixture. Add a dollop of the plant-based chèvre to each round, and serve!