Flatbread
There is no denying that I am a carboholic. Bread, of all types, is my comfort food. Even though I could eat bread with every meal and snack on a slice in between, I do limit myself. My waistline gives me a jolting reminder when I've over indulged in my favorite carbohydrate. One of the breads that I love to throw together when I can't resist the carb urge any longer, flatbread. This is super simple to make and there is not too much wait time between start and finish.
I am not sure if you have ever bought NAAN bread in the store, but you get two pieces and it costs around 5 bucks. You can make flatbread for less than $5 and have somewhere between 10-14 pieces, depending on the size you want to make them. They freeze wonderfully!
If I want to make sandwiches or individual pizzas with the flatbread I will measure 3 ounces of dough. If I am using it for dips or hummus, each dough ball will weigh approximately 2 ounces.
If you've never made bread before this may be where you want to start. I recommend using a kitchen scale, but I have included alternative measurements.
FLATBREAD:
227g (1 cup) of room temperature water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast, I use Fleischmann's
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
3 tablespoons of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 egg
240g (2 cups) of unbleached all-purpose flour
240g (2 cups) of bread flour
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted at the time of cooking
In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, activate the yeast in 1 cup of water for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.
Whisk the sugar, salt, sour cream/yogurt and egg into the yeast water.
Dump in both flours and use the dough hook to knead the mixture for 5-8 minutes or until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl and smooth. If you find the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is smooth. Alternatively, if the dough looks too dry, add a tablespoon of water.
Humidity can play a role in the formation of the dough. High humidity, the dough will seem stickier than usual. Don't fret though, it's hard to mess up this recipe.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and add the dough bowl. Cover and let the dough rest for 1 1/2 hours.
Lightly deflate the dough and make 2-3 ounce dough balls. Watch the video on burger buns to see how I shape the dough balls, click here. Place each dough ball on a well floured surface. Cover and let the dough balls rest for another 30 minutes.
Letting the dough rest is important. It gives the gluten in the dough a chance to relax and become more malleable. The yeast also has a chance to spread it's natural gasses, which is quite the flavor enhancer.
Heat a cast iron pan or gill to high heat and have your melted butter on standby. Roll out a dough ball on a well floured surface, gently spread a light coating of butter the top of the dough.
PREPARATION TIP: Grilling the flatbread adds amazing flavor and a lightly charred texture. Place the dough directly over the high heat coals. The time frame to cook the flatbread is the same, but you will want to use your best judgement to move the dough around the grill if necessary.
When bubbles start to form in about 2-3 minutes, butter the top of the flatbread and flip it over. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or so.
Place each flatbread onto a wire rack to cool completely. At this point, you can bag and freeze your finished flatbread or save for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container. Refresh the bread in a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes.
SRIRACHA-LIME MAYO:
1 cup of good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 lime, juiced
2-5 tablespoons of Sriracha, this is based on your tastes. We like it spicy!
Pinch of salt and pepper
In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients together. Add the sauce to a BLTAF (bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, flatbread sandwich) or eggs, burgers, deli sandwiches, fish sandwiches, etc. Make a batch of oven baked fries and use this sauce as a dip.
PICTURED BELOW: Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado & Sriracha-Lime Mayo Flatbread Sandwich.
