tapas again

Back in August I blogged a bit about Spanish tapas. Since then I've tried out a number of different tapas recipes, on the whole with great success. So I thought I'd share a few of them here and later.

One item I made was a garlic flatbread made with:

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 package yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water

These ingredients are combined into a dough. Knead for around 10 minutes or 7-8 minutes in the mixer, using a dough hook, until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Allow to rise for about an hour.

Punch down and let rest for a bit before dividing into two pieces. Roll each piece into a circle around a quarter inch thick. Coat lightly with cooking spray and press thin slices of garlic into the top.

Bake at 450F on a baking stone dusted with cornmeal for around 10 minutes, until garlic is just beginning to brown. After baking (or at the very end of baking) Top hot flatbread with grated cheese of your choice, so that it will melt. I've tried mozzarella and smoked gouda.

When serving the bread guests top it with any variety of toppings: olives, serrano ham, proscuitto, sopressata, and so. Especially good is a salad of tomatoes and basil in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic.

I've not tried a great deal of Spanish wine, but for a recent dinner of tapas I purchased a 2001 Rioja from Maruqes de Caceres that was lovely and fruity and matched the food quite well.