Tell me, who doesn't LOVE fresh bread?! If you haven't yet ventured into the bread-making life, this simple homemade flatbread recipe is a great place to start.
Oh GOODNESS! Look at her! She's art! Delicious art! This is such a great recipe to make any time. The best is when you have warm bread to dip in good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Down below, you will find my troubleshooting tips. I would read these tips before getting started
How to make a simple Homemade Flatbread
The first thing you want to do is make sure the water you are going to use is at the right temperature for the yeast. Too cold, it won't bloom - too hot, you will kill the yeast. Remember, yeast is a living organism. The best thing is to use a thermometer to make sure the water is 38ºC/100ºF or according to the brand you are using. If you don't have one, combine 1 part of boiled water with 2 parts of cold water or microwave for 35-40 seconds. We also need to add sugar to the bowl so the yeast can feed on it.
I typically use Unbleached Flour for all my baking and breadmaking and remember each brand of flour is milled differently, that's why I opt for weighing out my flour.
If the dough looks shaggy at this point, don't worry; the salt is going to help draw out the water. This is the part where I like to add the Olive Oil and knead the bread in the bowl with my hand until a ball begins to form. See my tips at the bottom of the page.
Cover your bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and place it in a warm place to rise. See Tip in the Recipe. After an hour, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide. Then, you will flatten each piece to be about eight inches in diameter using a rolling pin.
See the recipe for cooking instructions. Before serving, I like to drizzle on some olive oil and sprinkle with flakey salt. SO GOOD! Let me know if you make this! I would love to hear your feedback!
Flatbread Troubleshooting & Tips
- Dough still too shaggy after bowl kneading for 5 minutes - Your dough is too dry. Add a tablespoon of water and continue to mix together - if still too dry slowly add in more water. The dough should still be moist but not stick all over your hands. Sometimes I like to apply olive oil to my hands while kneading to help with the sticking.
- The dough is sticking all over my hands, I can't even Knead - The dough is too wet, slowly add flour into your mixture. The same applies to the above - you still want a moist dough.
- Can I make this the night before? Of course, you can! I let it rise as per instructions and just place the bowl in the fridge - ready to use in the morning!
- If I don't want to make all the bread in one day can I save it for later? Yes! you can place the leftover dough in an air-tight container and use another day.
- I don't have a rolling pin and it is too hard to spread with my hands - Take a piece of plastic wrap and place it over the piece you are trying to roll out. Start smoothing the dough under the plastic - this will help spread it out while keeping your hands clean.
Homemade Flatbread
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Dry Active Yeast I like using Red Star
- 1 cup Warm Water 38ºC/100ºF, divided
- 1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- 2 cups Unbleached Flour
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil Extra Virgin
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1 cup of warm water, and sugar. Allow yeast to bloom for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- Once the yeast has bloomed, add it to the mixing bowl with the flour. The dough will be shaggy at this point.
- Add the olive oil to the dough and use your hand to knead the dough in the bowl for 10 minutes or in a stand mixer with the hook attachment until the dough starts forming. See troubleshooting tips.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil around your mixing bowl to coat the sides. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
- Place the bowl in a warm place and allow to rise for 1 hour. Tip: Place the bowl in a cold oven with the oven light on - this will create a warm environment for your dough to rise.
- Turn the dough over on a lightly floured surface, and divide into 8 equal parts. Fold in the sides of each piece and roll into a ball. Place onto a floured baking sheet and cover. Let the dough rest for 20-25 minutes.
- Heat a Cast Iron on medium heat. I like to use avocado oil to grease the pan.
- Take one ball of dough out onto the lightly floured surface and shape it into a round flat disk. Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten the dough keeping it in a round shape - about 8 inches in diameter. Remember, once the dough hits the hot pan it will instantly shrink.
- Place rolled-out dough onto the hot pan and allow the underside to cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip to cook the other side.
- Remove the flatbread and set it aside on a cooling rack. Repeat steps 9 & 10 for the rest of the dough.
- Optional: Before serving the warm bread, drizzle on some olive oil and sprinkle on some flakey sea salt.
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