Quick Onion-Cheese Flat Bread

What to do if you’re craving fresh bread out of the oven, but you don’t want to invest  the time in waiting for the yeast to proof? This tasty rustic bread is the answer: it can be made in 30 minutes, baking time included!

In order to do that, I’ve decided to use the same method as with Irish soda bread, i.e. use baking soda and baking powder as the leavening agents. But even with that, the baking time can take up to 40 minutes. So, my solution was to simply flatten the dough, so that the bread could be baked in 20 minutes.
To make things even more interesting and tasty, I added grated cheese and a mix of onion, garlic and shallot to the dough, along with olive oil and buttermilk.
The bread came out very fragrant and tasty, with a crispy crust. It’s best served fresh from the oven for breakfast or brunch, or for a light dinner. It was even more delicious when served with blue cheese and honey on the side, but of course any other additions you have in mind will work just as well. Try it and enjoy.

Makes: 12-16
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 medium shallot, peeled
1 large garlic clove, peeled
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup olive oil (+ for brushing)
1 L egg
2½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup grated cheese (I used mild cheddar and Parmesan)

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (205C). Line a baking pan with baking paper.
2. Place the onion, shallot and garlic in a food processor bowl, fitted with the metal blade, and chop roughly.
3. In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk, olive oil and egg.
4. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the cheese and mix again. Add the chopped onion mix and the buttermilk mix, and knead briefly. The dough should be fairly sticky.

5. Place the baking paper over the work space, dust with a bit of flour and place the dough on it. Using a rolling pin, flatten to a rectangle, about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick. Holding the paper, transfer the dough to the pan. Create dents in the dough with your fingertips.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, until the bread is golden-brown. Brush with a bit of olive oil and serve warm.