I haven’t posted much during the last few weeks. Here is my excuse; I recently packed up my kitchen in cardboard boxes, and sent it sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. That’s because this Saturday, Silvana and I wave goodbye to China and begin our journey home to the UK. I will have a lot more time to focus on my journal soon, so expect to see plenty of new recipes, articles and reviews over the coming months. I thought I would share this wonderful recipe with you before we fly off into the sunset. The other day I was shopping at my local farmers’ market, when I noticed a tray bursting at the sides with juicy, red cherries. They are in season at the moment and I wanted to make something really special with them.

This is a fanastic recipe my mum made us for breakfast when we visited New Zealand early last year. It is beyond delicious. In fact, I can safely say that it is probably one of the best things I have ever tasted. There is something so extraordinary, almost extraterrestrial, about the combination of flavours here.

Schiaciatta is an Italian bread that can be topped with sweet as well as savoury ingredients. It is slightly flatter than Focaccia and is the perfect base for this recipe. You will be surprised how quick and easy to make this is, as the dough only needs to be proved (left in a warm place to double in size) once. The only fiddly bit is pitting the cherries, but with help of a marvellous invention called a cherry pitter, it takes no time at all.

To speed up the time it takes for the dough to double in size, here is a nifty trick: Boil the kettle and pour the water halfway up the sides of a high-sided roasting tray or ovenproof dish. Quickly place it on to the floor of a cold oven. Put the bowl of dough in the centre of the oven and quickly close the door. Remember to remove the risen dough and the tray of water from the oven a few minutes early, as you need to preheat the oven before you bake it.

Fruit can be a bit unpredictable when it comes to sweetness – you may need to drizzle a little more honey over the top, just before serving.

I have been known to put the feta cheese on top a few minutes prior to removing the bread from the oven. It is lovely when it is warmed through this way, but it really comes down to personal taste.

If you prefer a lighter loaf, cut the whole wheat bread flour with unbleached white bread flour. Start out by substituting 25% and move up from there.

Cooking the Schiacciata on a pizza stone will give you a seriously good crust.

Cherry Schiacciata

The dough:

2 cups whole wheat bread/strong flour
1 ½ teaspoons instant dried yeast
3 Tablespoons Honey
½ teaspoon freshly ground unrefined sea salt
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin Olive Oil
¾ cup warm filtered water

Preheat the oven 200c and lightly grease and flour a baking sheet. If you are using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat up.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Stir through the olive oil, honey and warm water. Form a dough and transfer it on to a lightly floured surface. Knead for around ten minutes, until the dough is nice and smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if the dough becomes too sticky during kneading.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover it with a pot lid, or a slightly damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to double in size, which should take about 30 mins.

Transfer the dough back to a lightly floured surface and knead for it around ten to twenty seconds. Flatten it out into a long, rectangular shape (using a rolling pin or with your hands) until it is about 2cm thick. Lay the dough out on the baking sheet.

The topping:

2 big handfuls of pitted fresh cherries
½ a small block (100g) of Feta cheese
A handful of freshly chopped rosemary
Runny honey

Firmly press the whole, pitted cherries deep into the surface of the dough. Make sure they are stuck right in, otherwise they will pop out during cooking. Pack them closely together and try to fit on as many as possible. Sprinkle with roughly chopped rosemary. Cook in the top third of the oven for around 20 – 30 minutes. The bread should be evenly browned on top and the bottom.

Crumble the feta cheese up into smallish pieces and sprinkle over the top. Drizzle with a little runny honey just before you serve it. This is best eaten while it is still warm.