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

The Frugal Kitchen: Dough Enhancers

In our pursuit for healthier eating and after seeing the lovely whole wheat loaves of bread being sold at bakeries, many of us embark on a mission to bake our own home baked whole wheat bread.  It's not too far fetched, we have been at least semi successful at baking white bread, why not whole wheat?  We find out why when we pull the equivalent of a whole wheat brick out of the oven.  You could build a retaining wall with that stuff!

Don't give up.  I finally figured out that most professional bakers use dough enhancers to get those beautiful, well risen loaves of wheat bread.

I discussed lecithin and it's usefulness in the kitchen when making nonstick oil (see previous post), but it is also a dough enhancer and will boost the wheat gluten's rising ability.  Other enhancers are dried wheat gluten, ascorbic acid and the list goes on (check the above link for details).

So, yes, we can bake light, well risen, wheat bread that we can be proud to serve to our family.  We can relieve their stress at trying to say the right thing about the semi-edible brick we have served them.  You know, something that won't hurt our feelings, but won't encourage us to bake this stuff again.  Let's take them off the verbal tightrope by using gluten/dough enhancers in our bread.

God bless,
Pam