Basic Griddle Fried Breads Recipes

FRYING PAN BREAD (SKILLET FLATBREAD) - NO YEAST

Steps:

• Add the dry ingredients (i.e. flour, salt, sugar, baking powder & herbs) to a large mixing bowl. Mix dry ingredients together. This helps to spread out the baking powder and prevents small pockets of baking powder being found in the finished bread.
• Soften butter in a microwave.
• Add wet ingredients (i.e. milk and melted butter) to the mixing bowl. Stir thoroughly with a large spoon.
• Use your hands to knead the dough together for 1 or 2 minutes in order to create a nice ball of dough.
• Sprinkle some flour on a cutting board in order to prevent the dough sticking to the cutting board (when you roll out the dough).
• Place the dough of the cutting board.
• Sprinkle a small amount of flour on top of the dough (in order to prevent the dough sticking to the rolling pin).
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat. The dough should be no more than 1/8 inch high.
• Use a large cookie cutter (or small cake ring) to create circular flatbreads. Or cut the dough with a knife diagonally & vertically (in a tic-tac-toe fashion) in order to create square flatbreads. Use tips below for more information on shaping the skillet flatbread.
• Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil or butter to a frying pan.
• Heat the frying pan with low/medium heat (halfway between the low and medium setting on your range dial).
• Place the flatbread dough in to the frying pan. The amount of flatbread that can fit in your frying pan depends on the size of the frying pan & flatbreads.
• Flip all of the flatbreads in the pan every minute in order to prevent burning. Remove the flatbreads from the frying pan when golden brown on both sides. It should take only 2-4 minutes to fry each batch of flatbread (so you need to watch the frying pan carefully... don't step away from the pan or they will burn).
• Add another 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil or butter to the frying pan when you fry a new batch of flatbreads.
• Place the skillet flatbread on a wire cooling rack.
• Serve while still warm.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully.

SIMPLE FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Oil should be at least one-inch deep.
• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add water a little at a time until dough comes together into a ball and doesn't stick to your hands, about 5 minutes.
• Tear off plum-sized pieces of dough and flatten into 1/2-inch disks.
• Fry pieces of dough in the hot oil until brown on both sides, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels or napkins before serving.

GRIDDLED FLATBREADS

Steps:

• Tip the flours into a food processor. Add the yeast, sugar and 1tsp salt, then mix well. Pour in 350ml warm water and the oil, then process to a soft dough. Mix for 1 min, then leave until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Pulse the dough a couple of times just to knock out the air, then tip onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll out one half to a rectangle about 20 x 40cm. Trim the edges using a large sharp knife, then cut into eight 10cm squares. Line a large tray or two baking sheets with non-stick paper and arrange the bread rectangles over the tray in one layer. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Leave in a warm place for about 30 mins until the dough is just starting to rise.
• Place bread directly onto the BBQ racks and cook for a couple of mins until they puff up, then flip over and cook on the other side. Tip into a basket and serve with the dips.

BASIC GRIDDLE-FRIED BREADS

Steps:

• 1. Place the 2 cups flour in a mixing bowl, add 3/4 cup water or yogurt, and mix with your clean fingers in round circular motions, until it starts to gather. (Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough seems sticky, or some water if it seems too firm.) 2. Knead for about a minute, pressing your knuckles lightly into the dough, spreading the dough outward, then gathering the ends together toward the center with your fingers. Push down the center, then repeat pressing the gathering a few times until you have a soft and pliable dough that does not stick to the fingers. Cover and let it rest at least 1 and up to 4 hours at room temperature. (This allows the wheat gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.3. Preheat the tava or griddle over medium-high heat until a sprinkling of the flour immediately turns dark brown. Wipe off the flour and proceed. While the tava is heating, with lightly oiled hands divide the dough into 10 to 12 round balls (depending on the size of the parantha you like.) Cover with foil to prevent drying.4. Working with each ball of dough separately, place in bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips, and coat well with the dry flour. Transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into a 6- to 7-inch circle of uniform thickness. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.) Baste the top of the dough with ghee and fold into a triangle, square, or circle, as per the directions, Shaping Paranthas: To Make a Layered Triangle (see INFORMATION AND SPECIAL TECHNIQUES).5. Place the rolled parantha on the hot tava or griddle. Turn over when it is slightly cooked and dotted with tiny golden spots on the bottom, about 1 minute. When the other side is covered with larger brown dots, turn it over, and brush lightly with oil. Flip it over again and fry the oiled side about 30 seconds. Similarly, baste and fry the other side another 30 seconds. There should be a total of 4 turns.6. Remove from the griddle and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

BASIC STUFFED GRIDDLE-FRIED BREADS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the stuffing. Prepare the dough. Heat the tava or griddle over medium-high heat until a sprinkling of flour immediately turns dark brown. Wipe off the flour and proceed. While the tava is heating, with lightly oiled clean hands, divide the dough equally into 10 to 12 balls and cover with foil to prevent drying. Divide it into 10 to 12 portions, about 3 to 4 tablespoons each.2. Working with each ball of dough separately, transfer to the bowl with the dry flour, press lightly to form a disc, coat generously with dry flour, and roll into a 4- to 5- inch circle. Place the stuffing in the center. Bring the edges together, pinch to seal, then shape into a ball once again.3. Flatten and coat this stuffed ball with flour and roll it into a 7- to 8-inch circle of even thickness. As you roll, keep turning and dusting the dough with flour or it may stick to the rolling surface. If the stuffing has excess moisture, the paranthas may develop tiny (or large) holes as they stretch while rolling. If that happens, seal the holes by putting a little dry flour over them (or by pinching them together).4. Place the rolled parantha on the hot tava. Turn it over when it is slightly cooked and dotted with tiny golden spots on the bottom, and 1 minute. When the other side is covered with larger brown dots, turn it over and brush lightly with oil. Flip it over again and fry the oiled side about 30 seconds. Similarly, baste and fry the other side another 30 seconds. Similarly, baste and fry the other side another 30 seconds. There should be a total of 4 turns. Remove from the griddle and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.