Vegetable Pie made with Yeast Dough (Apulia)

Vegeterian

Ingredients

Dough:

All purpose flour - 3 cups

Salt and white pepper

Compressed yeast - 1 1/2 cakes

Mixed green leaf vegetables - 2 1/2 pounds

Olive oil - 5 tbsps

Garlic, lightly crushed - 1 clove

Salt and pepper

Salted capers, well rinsed - 2 1/2 tbsps

Black Olives, pitted and roughly chopped - 12

Olive oil

Dough:

Sift the flour with a little salt and white pepper onto a pastry board or into a warmed bowl and make a well in the center. Dissolve the yeast in a little lukewarm water and add to the flour, with enough additional water to make a firm, pliable dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Put into a lightly floured bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

Meanwhile, clean the vegetables. Wash them under running water and drain. Chop coarsely. Put the oil and garlic in a pan, add the chopped vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook over a moderate heat until soft. Drain well and leave to cool. Discard the garlic.

Brush a deep, 10 inch baking pan with oil. Knead the risen dough lightly and cut it into two pieces; roll out each piece thinly. Line the pan with one sheet of dough, stretching it out as thinly as possible, and overlapping the sides of the pan. Spread it with the cooked vegetables and cover the surface with capers and olives. Cover with the remaining sheet of dough, seal the edges firmly and trim off surplus dough.

Prick the surface with a fork, brush with olive oil and bake in a moderately hot oven (400F) for 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 6