Tiella di Gaeta al Polpo e Olive Nere

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 400 g 00 flour
• 200 ml water, lukewarm
• 8 g fresh yeast, crumbled
• 8 g fine sea salt
• 40 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• For the filling
• 800 g whole octopus, cleaned
• 150 g Gaeta olives, pitted; Taggiasca are the closest substitute
• 30 g capers, salt-packed, rinsed
• 200 g ripe tomatoes, roughly crushed
• 1 dried red chilli, crumbled
• 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp octopus braising liquor, reserved from braising

Method

1. 1
   Dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm water. Combine the 00 flour and salt in a bowl, make a well, and pour in the yeast water and olive oil. Work to a smooth, cohesive dough. Knead on an unfloured surface for 8–10 minutes. The dough is ready when it is soft, elastic, and no longer sticks to the hand.
2. 2
   Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave to rest for 1 hour at room temperature. The dough is ready when it has relaxed and is noticeably softer, though it need not double in size.
3. 3
   Place the cleaned octopus in a pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and braise, covered, for 1 hour. Do not rush this stage; raw octopus placed directly into the filling will not cook through during baking. The octopus is done when a knife passes through the thickest part of a tentacle without resistance.
4. 4
   Lift the octopus from the pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the braising liquor. Allow the octopus to cool slightly, then chop it roughly into pieces of approximately 2 cm. Dress immediately with the olive oil, Gaeta olives, capers, crushed tomato, chilli, and the reserved braising liquor. Taste: the filling must be assertively seasoned, as olives and capers shed salt during baking. Adjust accordingly.
5. 5
   Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Divide the rested dough into two unequal pieces — roughly two-thirds for the base and one-third for the lid. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece to fit the base and sides of a 26–28 cm round shallow baking pan, with a short overhang. Line the oiled pan with the dough.
6. 6
   Spoon the filling into the lined pan generously and evenly. Do not underfill: the top dough must dome over the filling, and a sparse layer will leave it flat and dry. Roll the remaining dough into a round to cover. Lay it over the filling. Fold the overhanging base dough up over the edge of the lid and press the seam firmly all around — this is where the dish lives or dies. A loose seal allows the filling to escape and burn against the pan, and the crust loses the liquor it depends upon. Brush the top surface with olive oil and score the centre once to allow steam to vent.
7. 7
   Bake at 200 °C for 30–35 minutes. The tiella is done when the top crust is an even deep gold and the base, if lifted at the edge with a palette knife, sounds hollow against the pan.
8. 8
   Remove from the oven and rest in the pan for a minimum of 15 minutes before slicing. The tiella improves further after 2 hours at room temperature, as the braising liquor absorbed by the crust settles and the flavours meld throughout.