Ingredients – serves 6

For the soda bread:

• 600 g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 25 g butter
• 500 ml buttermilk

For the topping:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 15 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 40 anchovy fillets
• 20 black olives, pitted and halved
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 20 g Parmesan cheese, grated
• black pepper & salt

Method

Make the soda bread dough:

• Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and thyme in a bowl, then rub in the butter.
• Pour in the buttermilk and mix quickly with a spatula until you get a wet dough.
• Tip onto a lightly floured baking tray, spread out and even the surface with the spatula.

Make the topping:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the shallots gently for 10 minutes until softened.
• Add the tomato paste, season with pepper an salt. Stir well and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Assemble the pissaladière:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Spread the onion mixture over the dough.
• Make a criss-cross pattern with the anchovies on top, put an olive in each square and sprinkle with the dried oregano.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then scatter over the grated parmesan cheese.
• Return the pissaladière to the oven and bake for another 10 tot 15 minutes.