Ftira is a traditional flatbread mainly famous in Gozo (one of the major islands of the Republic of Malta) and topped with special Maltese/Mediterranean ingredients. Locally is best known also as Gozitan Ftira or Ftira Ghawdxija. Most common ftira toppings include sliced tomatoes, anchovies and/or tuna, capers, olives and potatoes. Other common toppings are the traditional Maltese goat’s cheese (gbejneit), beaten eggs, sun-dried tomatoes and Maltese sausage. This is my version/interpretation of the ftira, where I used durum wheat for the pastry.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 gdurum wheat flour (I used Sicilian Russello variety)
- 250 mllukewarm water
- 5 gfresh yeast
- 1 spoonextra virgin olive oil
- teaspoonstable salt
For the topping:
- 400 gdrained canned tuna
- 25cherry tomatoes
- 4potatoes
- 2onion
- 2 spoonscapers
- 2 spoonspitted olives
- q.s.extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
– pour some of the lukewarm water into an espresso cup, and pour the remaining water into a medium bowl;
– put the salt into the small cup and blend it with the water;
– put yeast in the bowl with the lukewarm water, melt it and blend it together with your clean fingers;
– sift the flour onto a large bowl;
– pour the content of the bowl with the yeast onto the flour while you mix well with your clean hands;
– knead till you start getting a ball of dough, then pour the salty water from the espresso cup;
– knead well till all water is absorbed;
– pour the oil and knead well till it gets absorbed and you get a not-sticky ball of dough;
– transfer the dough onto a working surface and knead as follow:
– fold the dough in half and rock forward on the heels of your hands to press it flat, turn the dough slightly, fold it in half, and rock into it again with the heels of your hands. Do this for about 30 seconds, then take the dough and smash it against the surface a couple of time. Alternate the kneading and the smashing for at least 10 minutes.
– put the dough back in its bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and store it away from air drafts for a couple oh hours (I store it in the switched-off oven);
– after 2 hours, check that the dough has doubled its volume (in winter it may take more than 2 hours due to lower temperatures);
– transfer the raised dough onto the working surface and split it into 2 balls;
– roll them down with your finger to form 2 discs for pizza trays of about 22cm diameter;
– fold the trays with the dough-discs, cover them with the kitchen towel and allow to rest while you prepare the topping;
– wash and rinse well the cherry tomatoes and cut them into half;
– slice the onions into thin slices;
– peel the potatoes and slice them in very thin slices too;
– preheat the oven to 245 degrees;
– put 1 sliced onion onto each ftira base and spread it all over;
– now put half of the cherry tomatoes onto each ftira too;
– do the same with the tuna, then the capers and the olives;
– cover with the potatoes slices;
– drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top
– fold the edges of the ftira over the ingredients on the sides.
– put the ftira in the oven and lower the heat to 200 degrees;
– bake for about 20 minute or till golden brown;
