Flatbread

Just putting this here ‘cos it’s something we’ve used a lot over the last few weeks of #isolation.

Thankfully we are able to usually just go and buy some bread*.  But we have found ourselves short a few times recently.  So we have made flat-bread dough which lasts a few days or more in the fridge.

Flat-bread is made with flour, water, and salt. Some types use yeast, some do not. Some are thick and some are thin.

It’s thought that flat-breads date from 1000s of years before the start of agriculture, these would have used wild grains.

The flat-bread we cook is thin and pan-cooked. It’s versatile, we’ve used it for breakfast with egg, lunch as a snack, and dinner with a curry.

Our flatbread:

• 500g bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 7g dried yeast  (I double the weight of yeast if using fresh yeast so; 14g fresh yeast- but don’t quote me on this – it works.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (fat helps it last longer)
• about 300ml water

500g of flour in a large bowl – add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other.

Add the oil and half of the water. Mix together. Then add the remaining water a little at a time, until you have a soft, sticky dough.

With oil on the work surface. Knead for 5-10 minutes. The dough will become less sticky and more smooth when ready. (I have not worked out whether dough or flour is better to stop it sticking, but if you add more flour then add more oil also.)

Put the dough ball in an oiled bowl. Cover and leave until the dough has doubled in size. An hour or so.

Lightly flour a surface and knock the dough back until it’s smooth. This can be cling wrapped and used whenever. Ours usually lasts a few days or more in the fridge!

With a floured rolling pin on a floured surface. Separate to a few balls and roll each out thinly to the size and thickness preferred. We prefer a thin pancake-like thickness.

Using a frying pan and a little oil, fry each flatbread for a few minutes on each side. Not too hot or the outside will burn and the inside will be not cooked. Brush with soft or melted butter mid-fry…  you know it makes sense!

Love it!

More bread here.

*We are so lucky to be in a situation where we can do this. We are thankful.