Rustic Flatbread Recipes

RUSTIC FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Place 1 1/2 cups warm water in large bowl; sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon yeast over. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. Using wooden spoon, beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Cover starter mixture with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight. Stir starter to deflate. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Pour milk into large bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Whisk remaining 2 teaspoons yeast into milk. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes.
• Scrape starter into milk mixture. Stir in oil and salt. At low speed, mix in remaining 2 3/4 cups unbleached flour. Beat until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 6 minutes. Scrape dough off paddle attachment. Let dough rest in bowl 10 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface (dough will be sticky). Knead with floured hands until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes (dough will be soft).
• Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, then towel. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead briefly until smooth. Divide dough in half. Let dough halves rest 5 minutes. Shape each half into log on work surface. Lightly flour each half; let rest 5 minutes longer. Lightly oil 2 heavy large baking sheets; sprinkle with cornmeal. Gently roll out each dough half into 14 x 6-inch rectangle, allowing dough to rest 3 minutes if dough springs back. Transfer each rectangle to prepared baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle tops with flour. Cover dough with lightly oiled plastic wrap, oiled side down. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Position 1 rack in bottom and 1 rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Lightly sprinkle tops of dough with flour again. Press dough all over with fingertips to dimple. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, oiled side down. Let dough rise until light and puffy, about 20 minutes.
• Bake breads until brown and crusty, about 30 minutes. Transfer breads to rack and cool slightly. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Rewarm breads in 400°F oven about 8 minutes, if desired.)

LA PIADINA ITALIAN FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a bowl, stir so everything is evenly mixed through.
• Make a well in the flour and add the water and olive oil. Stir everything together to form a dough.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead to form a smooth ball (make sure not to over knead the dough it only takes a minute or so).
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (cling film) and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat a large round skillet or frying pan on the stove. Divide the dough in four and roll each piece into a thin round flatbread shape (don't worry if they aren't perfectly round).
• Heat each flatbread one at a time on the skillet, once it's puffed up and looks golden turn it over and cook on the other side. It should take around 2 minutes each side.
• Fill each flatbread with your desired fillings and fold in half.

EFFORTLESS RUSTIC BREAD

Steps:

• Mix water, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl until mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir flour into yeast mixture until well incorporated. The dough will be loose and look wet. Cover bowl loosely with a damp towel and let sit for about 5 hours.
• Shape dough into 2 loaves using damp hands. Place loaves on a cornmeal-dusted work surface and score the tops a few times with a sharp knife. Allow loaves to double in size, 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place loaves on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, spraying the surface of the dough occasionally with water, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

RUSTIC FLATBREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and stir in mushrooms and garlic; sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cook and stir until the mushrooms have given off their juice and the juice has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set mushroom mixture aside.
• Heat 1 more tablespoon olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, and place asparagus into the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus pieces are very well browned (almost but not quite burned in spots), about 8 minutes. Remove asparagus from skillet and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium, and cook bacon in the same skillet until crisp, about 10 minutes; stir often. Drain excess grease as the bacon cooks, for crisper pieces.
• Remove bacon pieces and place on a paper towel-lined plate; blot with paper towels to reduce grease.
• Place the flatbread crust onto the prepared baking sheet, and spread marinara sauce over the crust.
• Spread the mushrooms and garlic evenly over the pizza.
• Spread asparagus over the pizza.
• Arrange bacon pieces on the pizza.
• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over the pizza, followed by Asiago cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cheeses are melted and bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes.

FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Mix the flour, salt, yeast and oil in a large bowl and add enough water to make a soft, but not sloppy, dough. Knead well. Put into a lightly oiled bowl to rise for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Divide the dough into 8 pieces, about 250g each, and use a rolling pin to flatten each one into a circle, 15cm in diameter, about 1cm thick. Then leave the pieces on a lightly floured baking tray to prove for 5 mins. Heat a large frying pan to a medium heat and dry-fry each piece until browned on both sides, about 5 mins in total. Set aside to cool slightly before serving.