Sourdough Tapenade Griddle Breads

How long has it been since I lit the oven? Two weeks? Longer? The forecast is showing the same crap until at least Monday, so here's another bread you can make in a cast iron skillet.

These were really nice, and they re-warm perfectly in the microwave, something I can't say of most breads. Sliced in half, they can be topped like pizza, and baked a few minutes in a toaster oven, or serve as a base for a fried egg.

You Will Need:

A few tablespoons of tapenade (or mush up some olives, capers, anchovies, herbs and oil yourself-I did).

1 cup fed sourdough starter
2 cups water at room temperature
2 cups strong flour

2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3-4 cups plain flour

Combine the starter, water, and flour. Mix well. Cover and let sit at room tempertaure about 8 hours (less time is OK, but the longer it sits, the more pronounced the sourdough flavour will be).

Stir in salt, sugar, and enough flour to make a dough that is not too dry, but not too sticky to knead. The dough should be slightly tacky. Knead a few minutes by hand, to incorporate the sponge, but don't obsess about getting the dough to windowpane-because it won't.

Place in a well-oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled (this will depend on the strength of your starter, and the temperature of the room. Mine took about 2 hours).

Divide dough into 8 balls. Cover, and let sit 15 minutes. Flatten balls and fill with a bit of tapenade. Pinch closed as you would for rolls, stretching at the bottom as you go. Cover and let rest 10 minutes-meanwhile heat your pan.

The pan should be fairly hot-medium at least, and a bit of water should sizzle when it hits. Carefully pat out a ball of dough taking care not to tear through to the filling. Gently roll it out to about 3/4 inch thickness. Place in pan and cook about 5 minutes each side-you'll see them rise as they go. If they start to brown too quickly, or burn, reduce the heat. They may smoke a bit if some oil seeps through, but that's not a big deal-open a window.

Cool on racks, and store in plastic bags in the fridge when cool.