anchovy fennel flatbread

oh. my. god.... at first i thought two sheet-tray-sized flatbreads was too much for dinner club. oh, was i wrong. these are amazing. the dough, from mario batali, is a dream. really smooth, soft, and easy to work with. the toppings you can obviously play around with, but i really recommend these!



for the toppings:

1 fennel bulb, sliced 1/8" thick, fronds reserved
1 c freshly grated parmesan
12 anchovies-- soak in 1/2 c milk for 30 minutes prior to using

saute fennel in 3 T olive oil, stirring often, until soft and golden brown-- 10-15 minutes. remove from heat, and stir in fennel fronds. add salt and pepper to taste.

for the dough:

1 1/2 c warm water
1 T active dry yeast
1 t salt
1 t sugar
4 c bread flour
1/4 c olive oil

put the water in a large bowl (bowl of stand mixer). stir in yeast and let stand until foamy and aromatic. add the salt and sugar and stir to combine. add the flour and olive oil and mix until a loose dough is formed. transfer to a lightly dusted work surface, and knead the dough until very smooth and firm- about five minutes. place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and put it in a warm spot. let rise until double in size, about two hours. punch the dough down and divide it in two. shape each into a ball, and then let rise for thirty minutes more. preheat oven to 450, and lightly oil two baking sheets. place each piece of dough on a baking sheet and spread with your fingers (or with a rolling pin, until it fits the baking sheet. poke indentations in the dough with your fingers across the entire surface, then drizzle with olive oil. bake for 15 minutes, or until the top is golden.