Serves 10 as a side dish or appetiser
Preparation time 45 minutes, plus about 2 hours to rise
Baking time 1 hour
You need
• 1kg cake flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 packet (10 g) instant yeast
• 625 ml lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
For the filling
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 200 g salami orsmoked ham slices
• 300 g mozzarella, in 2 cm blocks
Here's how
1 Combine the cake flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the water and oil, and mix by hand until a dough forms. Put the dough on a clean work surface and knead for 10 minutes or until it's elastic and soft and no longer sticks to your hands. Spread a little oil over the dough and return it to the mixing bowl. Cover witha damp cloth and set aside until it has doubled in volume.
2 Grease a no. 6 flat-bottomed potjie and its lid with the butter. Divide the dough into 18 even-sized balls. Mix the olive oil, garlic powder and herbs together. Dip each ball of dough in the oil and flatten it in your palm. Put a slice of meat and a block of cheese on top, and roll into a ball again. Put the ball in the greased potjie and repeat the process until you've used all the dough and filling ingredients. Brush the remaining oil over the balls and close the lid. Set aside in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume.
3 Place the pot over medium-hot coals and put a few coals on the lid. Bake the bread for about an hour or until it makes a hollow sound when you tap on it. Serve with tomato salsa or pesto. Fresh basil and parmesan also go well with the bread.
Tip
Use store-bought dough ifyou want to save time.
