Flatbreads have gained popularity lately and are often seen in different forms and styles on Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, Italians and other Mediterranean tables. It’s also popular with Middle Eastern cuisines as well as Indian dishes. These breads are typically used for dipping and dunking and to enjoy with accompaniments and dips like hummus, tzatziki, olives or tapenade (olive paste). Flatbreads are also perfect for soaking or mopping up any delicious sauce from your plate or to serve falafel in, with any of these sauces and some fresh salad ingredients.
Have you made your own flatbreads before? It’s really easy and with this quick recipe from Heleen Meyer, you are definitely going to impress your family and guests. The yoghurt in the dough gives these little breads a lovely flavour and texture and the baking powder in the recipe means that it’s a much quicker process than a yeast-based bread. You only need a few everyday ingredients to whip these up in a flash. You can even bake them in an air-fryer – see the tip below. It’s such a fabulous way to have freshly baked bread on the table – whether you enjoy it as a starter with accompaniments or make it the side dish with soup or a saucy dish, like butter chicken.
Feather-light flatbreads
Recipe by Heleen Meyer
Makes 10 – 12 small flatbreads
500 ml (2 cups) stoneground or ordinary white bread flour
10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin or 2,5 ml (½ tsp) cumin seeds (optional)
2,5 ml (½ tsp) salt
45 ml (3 tbsp) melted butter, plus an extra 15 ml (1 tbsp), for brushing
375 ml (1½ cups) plain double cream yoghurt
extra flour for rolling
1. Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix through and create a well in the middle of the dry mixture.
2. Stir the 45 ml melted butter into the yoghurt and pour into the middle of the ‘well’. Mix the liquid into the flour with a silicon spatula or wooden spoon until just mixed through – don’t stir too much.
3. Sprinkle some of the extra flour onto a work surface and turn the dough out onto the surface. Gently knead with your hands for a few minutes to form a soft dough. If it becomes sticky, just dip your hands or fingertips into the flour to make handling the dough easier.
4. Shape the dough into a thick sausage and cut with a sharp knife into 10-12 thick slices. Gently roll each slice into a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand.
5. Meanwhile, heat a large griddle pan over a medium temperature. Fry the flatbreads without any oil, until golden brown on each side and cooked. The extra flour on the surface of the breads will prevent them from sticking to the pan, just don’t overheat the pan.
6. Remove the flatbreads from the pan and immediately brush with the extra melted butter. Keep flatbreads warm on a plate, covered with a clean dish towel, while frying the rest.
7. Serve flatbreads as a side dish with any meal or enjoy as part of a snack platter with accompaniments like hummus, tzatziki (see tips) or an aromatic olive oil.
Tips:
1. Homemade tzatziki: Coarsely grate ¼ cucumber and squeeze out any excess liquid with your hand. Mix cucumber with 80 ml (⅓ cup) double cream yoghurt; 5 ml (1 tsp) fresh, chopped mint and 1 small garlic clove, crushed (optional) and season with lemon juice and finely grated lemon rind, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Bake a few flatbreads at a time, at 200 °C in an air-fryer, for 6 minutes. Turn them over and air-fry on the other side for another 2 minutes or until light golden brown and cooked. Brush flatbreads with the extra melted butter and repeat with the rest of the dough.
For more recipes like this, visit Heleen’s website: https://heleenmeyer.co.za/
Image by Adel Ferreira