When I need bread in a hurry, I make flat bread! It is quick, cheap, easy, and means I can have fresh bread in under an hour. I often serve it as a wrap with salad, meat, dip, falafels – whatever, it’s all good! And if you have leftovers, the next day you can toast it into healthy chips for dip or use it as a pizza base.
Ingredients:
4 cups plain, unbleached flour
2.5 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
350 – 450ml warm water
Place dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Make a well in the middle and add the water, about half at first and increase as you need to. You may not need all the water – it depends on your climate and the dryness of your flour. You want a very moist, but not sloppy dough. Mix until the dough comes together and there are no dry spots remaining.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, until the dough is soft and supple. Flour or oil the bottom of the bowl and place the dough back in. Cover with a clean tea towel.
Allow to rise for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size. Once again, this time will vary according to your climate.
Once the dough has risen, cut off lumps of dough about as large as the palm of your hand.
On a well floured surface, flatten the dough first with the palm of your hand, turning it over the coat both sides with flour.
Now roll the dough out until you have a round that will fit in your pan and is quite thin, but not too thin to pick up and transfer to the pan. (I just pick it up with my hands).
Place the round into a preheated, very hot non stick frypan. Do not add an oil – we want a dry fry.
When the surface of the round begins to bubble and puff, turn over to cook the other side. It only takes a minute or two on each side. You may have to adjust the heat as you go to ensure the bread cooks quickly but doesn’t burn. Every few rounds, you may wish to quickly wipe out the surface of the frypan with wet paper towel or a damp cloth as flour can accumulate and start to burn.
Stack your bread rounds on a plate and cover with a clean towel until ready to use.
My kids love to eat them fresh out of the pan, smothered with butter! If I can keep them out of the kitchen for long enough, I often serve this bread with homemade hommus or labneh.
I would love to do a video to accompany this flat bread recipe sometime, would that interest you? Let me know!
Thankyou so much for these recipes Kelly…Ive been wanting a sure fire recipe for flat bread so really appreciate this.
Oh, you will LOVE the flatbread and it’s so easy!
we make this in México but without yeast. You can add the thick cream if you boil raw milk.They are cooked just like that
I would love to see how you shape these so yes, a video when you have time please 🙂
Great, I hope it turns out well for you, I love baking with yeast!
I'm making these right now 🙂 as my first foray into making anything with yeast 🙂
I hope you enjoy it Susan!
Kelly I really must make some of that flat bread soon. I keep intending to. It looks quite delicious.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I'm looking forward to trying it. And yes, a video would be great
Thanks Kelly. I was hoping you would post it. Gonna make some tomorrow.