Fabulous Flatbread

I love bread. All kinds. But this recipe is one of my favorites. It's very versatile and can be used for mini pizzas or sandwiches or scooping up hummus or dip. If you decide to make it, be aware that it takes about 2 hours with rising, rolling and cooking.

First, let me introduce you to my cooktop.


Our house was built in 1975. It has tons of 70's character and charm. This cooktop is one example. That is a griddle there in the middle. Ha! Such poetry. I promise you that the burn mark on the sunny yellow countertop was there when we moved in. Promise.

This is a close up with the griddle cover removed. See how seasoned and well-used it is? I didn't think I would like having a griddle on the stovetop at first, but I've grown to really like the convenience of it. It's come in very handy for making flatbread. And pancakes. But today it's just about the flatbread.

Fabulous Flatbread

1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 teas)
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
2 TSBP milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teas salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Let stand about 10 minutes until frothy. Stir in the sugar, milk, egg and salt. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. I usually start with 3 cups and work my way up to 3 1/2. Knead for 6-8 minutes or until smooth. A Kitchenaid mixer is awesome for this. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in volume.

Punch the dough down and pinch off golf-ball sized pieces. You can make these bigger if you want. Roll into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. I normally get a dozen portions out of this. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. This should take about 30 minutes.

Heat your griddle to high. If you want to grill this bread, that will work too. Roll out one or two balls of dough into thin circles, or as many as will fit on your griddle at one time. Be sure to use a little flour to keep the circles from sticking. Lightly rub griddle with oil. Place dough onto the griddle and brush with melted butter. It should bubble up like this almost immediately.


Cook for 2-3 minutes until puffy. Flip over and brush cooked side with butter. They should look brown but not burnt. Turn the heat down slightly if they're browning too quickly. Cook another 2-3 minutes after flipping.

Repeat with the remaining dough balls. You will end up with a stack like this. Oh, the possibilities!

I've used these to make gyros, Philly cheese steak sandwiches and pizzas. My kids like to eat them plain. They will keep in a Ziploc bag for a couple of days, but I don't think they've ever lasted that long around here. If you want to reheat them, wrap in a damp paper towel and pop into the microwave for a few seconds. If you have a griddle in the middle (I just said it again!) you can throw them on for a minute or two on each side.

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace.