The Frugal Kitchen: Easy Flatbread

While this is an easy recipe I would not call it a fast recipe.  However, it can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.


INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. yeast
unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

In water dissolve sugar and stir in yeast.  Wait ten minutes for it to proof.  It should be foamy, but if it isn't stop here, discard and buy some fresh yeast.

Add yeast mixture to the mixing bowl.  Add salt and oil and mix together for a second.  I used my Kitchen Aide mixer with a dough hook, but you can do this all buy hand.

Start adding the flour one heaping mixing spoon at a time.  Mixing it thoroughly until the dough is no longer sticky.  Knead until a smooth ball forms.

Add an additional teaspoon of oil to a gallon plastic bag and smear to thoroughly cover inside of bag or oil a bowl.  Add dough to the bag and seal.  If using a bowl turn dough to ensure it is covered with a light coat of oil, then cover securely.  The dough can now be refrigerated until it is to be used.

To bake, first heat a cast iron pan or griddle on medium heat and turn on the broiler in the oven.  Move oven rack to a high middle position.  Flour a flat surface and roll out a handful of dough to make a round the size of a commercial pita bread.

Lightly oil the pan with an oil saturated paper towel.  Place bread on pan and cook until it begins to brown on the bottom and small bubbles form.

Then transfer pan to the oven, under the broiler.

The dough will puff up.  When it is lightly golden brown with darker spots remove and place on a heated plate.

Melt some butter and lightly brush on both sides of bread.

Here is the finished product:

This flatbread dough can be cooked in other ways.  You can cook both sides on the stove (will not puff as much) or on the grill.  Place 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet and fry both sides of the dough to make a Navaho fry bread.  Use as a pizza dough or place a filling inside two rounds of dough and bake.  The options are as endless as your imagination.  Enjoy.

God bless,
Pam

Baking Bread Without A Recipe

Today I wanted to make simple Italian baguettes to go with a supper of marinara and pasta.  Once you have been baking for a while and have become familiar with the different steps of bread baking, it is easy to bake bread without a recipe.

My two favorite tools are a good bread flour and my mixer with a bread hook.  I used to stick up my nose at using machines to bake bread, but with age and arthritis I have come to be appreciative of them.  My only regret is that I wish I had gotten a larger capacity mixer.

Bread Flour And Kitchen-aide

Start with a sponge appropriate the the amount of bread you wish to bake.  I mixed together 2 1/2 tsp. yeast, 1 cup warm water, a couple of squirts of honey, then mixed in enough flour to make a loose sponge (like unset plaster of paris).  Cover with a damp cloth for about 15 minutes.  It should be bubbly at the end of that time.

Sponge Before

Sponge After Fifteen Minutes

Now add 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and slowly add flour with the mixer on low.  When the dough begins to pull away from the sides, increase the speed to medium for a couple of minutes.

Dough Pulls Away From Sides Of Bowl

Place in a well oiled bowl.

Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place.  I like to sit mine on the dryer in my garage.  A friend of mine used to raise dough in her car parked in the sun.  In Florida cars can get so hot in the summer that it can kill your yeast, but it worked for her in the winter.

Once it has doubled in size turn it out onto a generously floured surface.  Now is the time to get dear daughter involved in kneading the dough until it has absorbed enough flour that it is not sticky.

Get The Kids Involved

Divide the dough and roll into log shaped loaves.  Lay on a pan that is lightly greased and sprinkled with cornmeal.  Cover as before and let rise until doubled in size.  Once that is done slit the tops with a sharp knife or razor blade, brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with garlic salt.

I baked this batch in a 375-400 degree oven for 13 minutes.  You can see that a 1/2 sheet pan fit right onto the oven shelf supports which works well to allow good heat circulation.  When they are golden brown and sound hollow when thumped they are done.

Right Out Of The Oven

Place the loaves on a wire rack to cool, otherwise the steam they give off may make the bread soggy in places.

Ready For Supper

Once you get used to bread baking you should be able to make simple loaves for your family without a lot of fuss and bother.  I made this bread while doing other tasks at home.  Not using a recipe allows me to compensate for the humidity and other environmental factors that can make bread fail.

Give it a try.  Your hungry family will thank you.  Few foods are as good and appreciated as home baked bread.

God bless,
Pam