This cheesy summer squash flatbread is heaped with marinated squash, blue cheese and mozzarella for a savory snack (goes great with white wine or chilled beer!) or even as a main course. In that case, you can serve it with salad to complete the meal.
So, our weather hasn’t been great – lots of rain and very little sun – but after the drought/scorcher that was summer 2022, I’m not about to complain. My tomatoes are still small and green but my summer squash are flourishing.
I grew them from seeds in smaller pots and transplanted them thinking they might vine but this variety of crookneck squash does not. That said, I deliberately chose the seeds that said “good in pots” and so they are!
Fortunately, even though I have five plants, they grow just a few squash at a time and so – for now - I’m able to keep up with the harvest but we’ve still been eating a lot of summer squash and that’s a good thing.
This is the first time I’ve attempted growing these crookneck squash but since they’ve turned out so easy, I know it won’t be the last. Only one caveat: I picked one to cook a week ago that was as big as full grown but it still had some green on it. Talk about bitter! I figured the size was what mattered but now I know not to pick them till they are completely yellow.
Cheesy Summer Squash Flatbread
If you don't have summer squash, zucchini is an excellent substitute. In fact, this recipe is adapted from one on the
delicious. magazine website using courgette (BrE for zucchini.) If you do not have a 12 in cast iron skillet, this can also be baked in the oven on a pizza stone. Put the stone in as you preheat the oven.
Ingredients
For the flatbread dough:
1 2/3 cups or 200g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 1/2 fl oz or 133ml tepid water
1/4 cup or 60g fed sourdough starter
For the topping:
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil
3 small summer squash, trimmed (about 300g)
Finely grated zest 1 lemon
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 oz or 100g Roquefort or other strong blue cheese, crumbled
4 1/4 oz or 120g fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons pine nuts (20g)
Optional for serving: lemon wedges (from the one you zested)
Method
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Add the tepid water and the sourdough starter.
Use a wooden spoon or a Danish dough whisk to combine everything into a wet and sticky dough.
Use damp hands to form it into a loose lump. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or cling film and then leave it at room temperature for 6-8 hours.
Important: Stretch and fold the dough over several times during the rising time to develop the gluten. I set a timer for 30 minutes to remind myself to keep doing this step often.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a small pot until it just starts to shimmer. Remove the pot from the heat and add in the sliced garlic.
Leave to infuse until the oil is cool. Strain out the garlic with a small sieve and save for adding to the flatbread to serve.
Cut the summer squash in half and scoop out any seeds. Discard or compost the seeds. Cut the squash into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler or slice finely lengthways.
Put the thin slices in a bowl with the lemon zest and 2 tablespoon of the garlic oil, then season with a sprinkle fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Massage the salt, pepper, zest and oil into the squash as you might do it raw kale for kale salad. Set aside for at least 30 minutes but longer is better to help soften the squash.
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C, and then start heating a large cast-iron skillet on your stovetop.
Roll out the dough into a circle on a piece of nonstick baking parchment. Despite mine being nonstick, I found it still needed quite a bit of flour underneath so it would turn loose when I needed it to. You may find the same.
Prop the squash bowl on its side so that any juices that have accumulated can run off. Soak it up with a paper towel and discard. We are looking for crispy flatbread so want to keep the toppings as dry as possible.
When the iron skillet is very hot, carefully transfer the dough circle to it. Cook the dough on the stovetop for about 2-3 minutes. You can see the middle starting to cook here.
Pop the skillet into your preheated oven to cook the flatbread before adding the toppings. I set a timer for five minutes.
When your timer rings, remove the flatbread from the oven.
Top it with the summer squash slices, crumbled blue cheese, sliced mozzarella and pine nuts.
Return the flatbread to the oven. Cook for a further 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the summer squash is golden in places.
You want a crunchy top and a crunchy bottom. Check the bottom with a wooden spatula and leave it in a bit longer if it isn't to your liking.
Likewise, if you desire a little more color on your squash or cheese, you can turn the oven to broil for another minute or two. Just be watchful so it doesn't burn.
Remove the pan from the oven and slide the flatbread onto a cutting board. Top with the reserved garlic and some more garlic oil, if desired.
I found that extra oil was not necessary as the oils from the cheese created little pools already. In fact, I dabbed them with a paper towel to remove some of the oil. If you are a fan of oily focaccia, this probably won’t bother you. I like mine on the drier side.
Cut into wedges to serve.
I also gave my slices a squeeze of lemon juice. You might want to as well.
It’s Foodie Extravaganza time, when my fellow bloggers and I share recipes for random foodie holidays. This month it’s National Zucchini Day on 8 August but our host, Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm said I could sub in my summer squash since many people use them interchangeably. Thanks, Wendy, and thanks for hosting! Check out all the recipe links below.
Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page
Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our
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