Pissaladière might be hard to pronounce, but it’s wonderfully easy to enjoy. This Provençal-style flatbread, topped with sweet caramelised onions, savoury anchovies, and briny olives, makes a beautifully bold choice for celebrating Women’s Day. It’s a dish that feels both rustic and elegant, ideal for spoiling the special women in your life, especially when paired with a glass of Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Pinot Noir.

Serves: 6-8 | Preparation time: 30 minutes + overnight proving | Cooking time: 45 minutes | Level: easy

Ingredients

Dough:

• 500 g white bread flour
• 2 tsp (10 ml or 8 g) instant dry yeast
• 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
• 2 C (500 ml) lukewarm water
• 1 tsp (5 ml) honey

Toppings: 

• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
• 6 large onions, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped/grated
• 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
• 100 g anchovy fillets in oil (±18 fillets)
• 18 pitted kalamata olives

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. In a separate jug, combine the lukewarm water with the honey. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir until a sticky dough forms. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky – add a little extra flour if it feels overly wet. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight for 8–12 hours.
2. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 45–60 minutes.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly for 30–35 minutes, stirring often, until soft, golden and sweet. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
5. Grease a 23 x 33 cm baking tray with olive oil. Turn out the dough and gently stretch or press it into the tray, pushing it into the corners and edges.
6. Spread the cooled onion mixture evenly over the base. Arrange the anchovy fillets in a criss-cross lattice pattern and place half an olive in each diamond.
7. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crisp underneath. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.