It may be tricky to find cockles, mussels or clams in their shells, but it is worth it for this recipe. Cockles give the best result in my opinion, but mussels also work well, as do large clams (the small ones frazzle in the heat).

Prep time: 40 minutes, plus one hour rising | Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

MAKES

Four to six

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

• 400g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 x 7g sachet easy blend dried yeast
• 400ml warm water at about 40C

For the cockles

• 1kg cockles (or you could use mussels or clams) in their shells
• 8 tbsp best-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 30g fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• 100g parmesan

METHOD

1. If you are using cockles, check each one for grit. You should be able to spot a gritty one visually, or else it will feel heavier than the others. Throw these away.
2. Rinse the shellfish well in cold water, cleaning any beards from the mussels (if using), and discarding any with broken shells or which don’t close when tapped on the work surface or sink. Drain and set aside.
3. To make the dough, mix together the flour, yeast and two good pinches of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. With the dough hook attached and the motor running on a medium speed, slowly add the warm water a little at a time, until a dough has formed. You might not need it all. Mix for about three to four minutes until it comes together.
4.  Cover the dough in its bowl with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise.
5. After about an hour the dough should have doubled in size. Put the dough hook back in and mix the dough for another four minutes. The air will be knocked out and you should get a tighter, smoother dough.
6. Turn this out on to a floured surface and finish kneading with your hand. The dough should have a shine and be elastic. When you prod it with a finger, it will spring back. Leave the dough to rest for a few minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to its highest temperature – usually 250C/240C fan/Gas 9.
8. Divide the dough into four or six, depending on how large you’d like your flatbreads to be. Roll each one out thinly into a rough circle shape. The thinner the dough the quicker they will cook – I make mine about half a centimetre thick.
9. Transfer the flatbreads on to a floured baking sheet or two. You can bake them in batches if you like.
10. Distribute the cockles evenly over the dough. The idea is that the shells will open in the heat and the juices will spill out on to the bread. Drizzle each flatbread with half of the oil and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
11.  When the breads are golden brown on top and the shells have opened, remove from the oven and finish them by dressing each one with the parsley, some sea salt and the rest of the olive oil. Grate some parmesan over them with a microplane and serve. You could cut them into slices or serve each person with their own flatbread.