Flat pot bread

DOUGH
800 ml white bread flour
7 ml instant yeast
2 ml salt
15 ml olive oil
50 ml fresh mixed herbs such as thyme, oreganum, rosemary and parsley
1 small onion, chopped and sautéed in oil until soft (optional)
350 ml lukewarm water
olive oil
15 ml coarse salt

Mix flour, yeast and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a hollow in the middle and add the olive oil, half the herbs and onion. Mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead for about 10 minutes until dough is smooth and not sticky. (Small air bubbles will appear on the surface when the dough is pressed between your hands.) Place dough in a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place until double the volume (about 1 hour).

Punch down lightly, but don't knead all the air out. Shape into an oval or ball and leave to rise again for about 7 minutes. Spray a shallow cooking pot with non-stick cooking spray or lightly grease with butter. Place dough in pot, cover and leave to rise until doubled in volume.

Press remaining herbs onto dough surface, brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Preheat oven to 200 ºC, or bread can be baked over the coals (place the pot over a coal-filled hole in the sand, and cover the lid with coals). Bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through, and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Serve with extra olive oil and mussel stew, or with braaied meat and roasted vegetables.