Description
Rustic Greek pizza ladenia showcases the simple elegance of Mediterranean cuisine. Crisp flatbread topped with ripe tomatoes, onions, and herbs offers you a delightful journey through traditional Greek flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 cups (410 g) all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tbsps (15 ml) instant yeast
- 1 tsp castor (superfine) sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil (plus more for greasing the pan)
- 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsps oregano, ground in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- 0.5 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced (optional)
- 0.75 cup (3.5 oz or 100 g) crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Yeast Activation: Whisk yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large mixing bowl, allowing the mixture to become frothy and develop for 5 minutes.
- Dough Preparation: Blend flour, olive oil, and salt into the yeast mixture, kneading thoroughly to create a smooth, elastic dough. Adjust consistency as needed by adding flour or liquid.
- Pan Preparation: Thoroughly coat an 11-inch circular baking pan with olive oil, ensuring complete and even coverage.
- Dough Shaping: Transfer dough to the greased pan, using fingertips to gently spread and stretch the dough towards the pan’s edges, creating an even surface.
- First Rise: Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm location for 30 minutes, allowing the dough to expand and develop flavor.
- Topping Creation: Combine tomatoes, onions, oregano, olive oil, salt, and optional olives in a preparation bowl, carefully mixing to preserve the tomatoes’ texture and integrity.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 400°F, ensuring complete and even heating.
- Surface Preparation: Gently stretch the risen dough and create distinctive dimples across the surface using fingertips.
- Cheese Layer: Evenly distribute crumbled feta cheese across the prepared dough surface.
- Final Topping: Artfully arrange the prepared tomato mixture over the cheese-covered base, ensuring balanced distribution.
- Baking Process: Place the ladenia in the preheated oven, baking for 30-40 minutes until the base turns golden-brown and the edges become crisp and slightly charred.
- Serving: Remove from the oven, allow brief cooling, then slice into wedges. Serve and enjoy the Mediterranean-inspired flavors at warm or room temperature.
Notes
- Activate Yeast Carefully: Ensure water temperature is between 100-110°F to perfectly bloom yeast without killing it, creating a frothy, alive mixture.
- Adjust Dough Consistency: Feel the dough’s texture while kneading; it should be smooth and elastic, not too sticky or dry – add flour or water in small increments.
- Proof in Warm Space: Select a draft-free area like a turned-off oven or near a warm appliance to help dough rise consistently and develop flavor.
- Handle Toppings Gently: Slice tomatoes and onions thinly to prevent excess moisture, ensuring a crisp crust and preventing sogginess during baking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30–40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg