Pissaladière with olives and anchovies

1. 1

   For the dough, put the flour in a bowl and stir in the salt. Add the yeast. Mix the honey with the oil and water, then pour this over the flour.

2. 2

   Mix until you have a sticky dough, then turn out the dough and knead until soft and passes the windowpane test (stretch a small piece out until you can see through it - gluten is developed enough if it allows you do this). Return to the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to double in size - at least an hour.

3. 3

   Meanwhile make the topping. Heat the olive oil and butter in a very large frying pan. When the butter has melted and is foaming, add the onions and thyme leaves (if using). Season with salt. Stir carefully until they reduce in volume - there will seem almost too much for the pan to start with, but they will collapse quite quickly. Continue to cook on a low to medium heat for at least 45 minutes to an hour, stirring regularly. The onions will lightly caramelise on the base - scrape this up regularly when you stir.

4. 4

   Eventually you will have very soft, almost puréed, golden brown onions. You can instead cover the pan and let the onions sweat for a similar amount of time - they will collapse in a similar way but be lighter in colour.

5. 5

   Preheat the oven to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8.

6. 6

   Knock the dough back and shape to fill a large baking tray - around 40x20cm/16x8in. Spread the onions over the dough, leaving a narrow border, then add the anchovies in a lattice pattern - or more free-form if you prefer (I often do a small amount without as there’s always someone who doesn’t like anchovies!). Add the olives at intervals. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, if you like. Bake in the preheated oven for around 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through.

7. 7

   Cool, cut into slices and serve.

1 serving ≈ 213 g

Nutrition values are estimates. - means data is unavailable.