Suitable for vegans and vegetarians, this recipe serves 4 and is ready in about 15 minutes. Before I start I want to tell you how much I love this simple flatbread recipe, it is used around twice a week in our household and has been for years. When I moved out into my own place, I realised we hadn’t got the shopping in on time and only had a few ingredients to work with so I whizzed up a curry with vegetables and rice. Then I wanted to have an accompaniment on the side and who doesn’t love flatbread?
I experimented with mixing flour, water and black sesame seeds mixing continuously till I created a dough. I rolled it out onto a floured surface and chucked it into the frying pan on a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once it was cooked both sides I added a spread of butter and the outcome was out of this world! The thing I love most about this flatbread recipe is that you can adjust it to work as a side dish for any meal or even as a snack. If you are having an Italian dish like pasta, you could add garlic and parsley to your flatbread, if you are having Moroccan food you could add currents and nuts. For greek dishes add feta and figs or for Indian add cumin and fennel seeds to add a tasty beautiful aromatic flavour.
Ingredients
- 250g Plain Flour + extra for dusting
- 100ml Water
- 1tbs oil of your choice (I use olive oil)
Method
- Start by putting the flour into a large bowl
- Add the chopped herbs, garlic, or whatever flavour it is that you are going for, or if you’d prefer simply leave it plain.
- Mix well, making sure the ingredients are fairly distributed
- Add the water, and mix.
- When the flour is incorporated into the dough, and it has become pliable. (not too dry and not too sticky) - dust a little flour on your worktop and tip the dough onto it. You should start kneading the dough until it is smooth with no clumps of flour.
- Roll it into a ball and cut into four, this is to make four flatbreads.
- One at a time, using a rolling pin, roll each ball out nice and thin. If it is sticky, use a little more flour, and make sure it fits in your frying pan!
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan, once hot add your first flatbread. Let it cook for a little while before turning as it will be very soft, as it cooks it will firm up.
- Once golden on both sides, and serve
You can experiment with all the potential flavoured flatbreads and can even make a delicious flatbread pizza.
Flatbread Pizza Recipe
The pizza that I had in Italy inspired me and was easily the best pizza that I had ever tasted. It started when I and my partner went into the local pizzeria. The restaurant owner was very kind and invited us into the kitchen to show us how real Italian pizza is made. Instantly you could tell that it was something that they proudly do with passion. It wasn’t just cooking, it was art.
The way the base is hand-stretched. The fresh tomato sauce, the ripped basil, and afterward when it is topped with fresh Parmigiano Reggiano. Back home, I always make flatbreads and other variations utilising different ingredients to make a cultural side dish depending on the other dishes I make. I remembered the pizza baguettes in the cafeteria from back when I was at school and decided I would have a go at making a pizza flatbread.
What’s great about making this flatbread is the fact that it does not require yeast. This means that you have a tasty pizza a lot quicker for those days when you want to cook homemade but have less time. Our flatbread is made using only flour, water, and olive oil. This results in a healthier base but is just as delicious, with less crunch and more bite.
How to make a tasty tomato pizza sauce
Once your flatbread is cooked using the above recipe, set aside and start making your tomato sauce. To make the sauce you will need to finely dice the onion, then caramelise it in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil on low heat. When caramelised add fresh basil, sea salt, black pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook for one minute stirring constantly to avoid anything burning.
Then add passata, adding a small amount of water if it is too thick. Let it cool, and then top the flatbreads with the sauce and your preferred cheese/toppings. Place in the oven and cook until the toppings are cooked and the cheese has melted. Then serve and enjoy.
Up next: Sri Lankan Roti Recipe
