Ftira (Maltese Ring Bread)

Ftira is Malta’s answer to the perfect sandwich bread: a ring-shaped, crackly-crusted loaf with a soft, open crumb, traditionally split and filled with tuna, tomatoes, and olives. It’s one of the Mediterranean’s most distinctive breads and almost unheard of outside Malta.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the bowl
• Semolina or extra flour, for dusting

Instructions

1. Mix the dough
   Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil, and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic (the dough will be quite wet, resist adding too much extra flour).
2. First rise
   Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1.5-2 hours, until doubled.
3. Shape
   Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and gently shape into a ring, poking a hole through the center and stretching it out to about 4 inches wide. Place on a floured baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 30-40 minutes.
4. Bake
   Preheat the oven to 475°F with a baking stone or inverted tray inside if you have one. Dust the loaf with semolina and bake for 20-25 minutes, until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
5. Serve
   Let cool before slicing horizontally and filling, traditionally with tuna, tomato, olives, and capers, Maltese-style.