Grilled Flatbread

I'm not a huge bread eater but hubs will eat as much as I can bake - any kind, brioche, kaiser buns, baguettes, you name it. There is one version I make that he has to arm wrestle me over though, and that's this version of grilled flatbread. It's quick and easy with a great outer crunch and inner chewy texture. I serve it with dinner and when there are leftovers (rarely) they make a great pocket bread for sandwiches too.

This post goes out to my friend Janet, who I know will love it as much as I do. Y'all enjoy now, hear?

Mediterranean Flatbread: Yield 8 large pieces

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated yeast (1 packet is about 2 & 1/2 tsp)
• 3 cups flour (I use bread flour for that chewy texture but you can use AP in a pinch)
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed
• 2 tablespoons za’atar, optional
• 1 cup hot water (~105 degrees F)

Method:

I use hot water for this recipe because by the time you measure in the sugar and the yeast, it has cooled to just about the correct temperature. So, measure out your hot water, stir in the sugar and the yeast and allow to proof for about 5 minutes until it gets all nice and bubbly. Meanwhile, measure your 3 cups of flour (dip and sweep method) into the large bowl of a food processor, add in salt and pulse to combine. When your yeast is activated, pour it into the processor with the flour and pulse until well combined. Keep pulsing until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball. If it looks a little crumbly or dry, add in a tsp of water at a time, with the processor running, just until it forms a ball. You don't want it to wet. Then, pulse for about 2-3 minutes to let the processor do all the hard work of kneading. If you run it continuously the dough may get a bit too warm.

Grease a bowl with a little olive oil, form the dough into a ball and place into the bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in volume. This should take about an hour, depending upon the ambient temperature.

Punch down the dough and using a dough scraper or a knife, divide into 8 equal pieces. (you could do more if you want smaller pieces). Roll the pieces into a ball with your hands then roll out into an oblong shape with a rolling pin. Cover with a non-terry cloth dish towel and allow to rest while you prepare a BBQ to medium heat. 

Brush the dough rounds with olive oil and sprinkle with za'atar or coarsely ground salt and pepper - or get creative and try whatever spice mix you like! I like the za'atar with a spicy BBQ dish because the slightly sweet flavor is the perfect contrast.

 

Grill on medium grill until you have good grill marks, then turn and grill on the other side. Depending on your grill this will take 3-5 minutes per side. The pieces should puff up on the grill as they bake Remove from the grill and enjoy!

I hope that you try it and let me know how it turned out for you. I'm willing to bet you'll make it more than once!