Slow Cooking... Flatbreads: the cook & the chef
With so many of you asking for more food recipes, I thought I’d continue the Slow Cooking series.
I’ll share one simple dish, two ways. Each time featuring a chef and a cook.
This week, it’s flatbreads!
I’m lucky enough to be able to share Danielle Alvarez from Fred’s recipe (thanks for the tip off Lucinda), along with the wonderful Sally Tulloch - Chief Flavour Officer (I made that title up) over at Farmer Jo Foods.
And flatbreads happen to go really really well with my Warming Ayurvedic Dahl recipe (funny story, this recipe gets more hits on my website than anything else and it’s been there since 2017?) - très bizarre!
DAIRY FREE FLATBREADS - SALLY TULLOCH (FARMER JO)
Ingredients
240g coconut yoghurt
1 tsp sea salt (plus extra for sprinkling)
330g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
+ olive oil for cooking
Optional
2 handfuls semolina (if you want a crunchier texture)
Method
I have been making flatbread for my family ever since I discovered Hetty McKinnon's recipe for yoghurt flatbread. My slightly modified recipe is dairy-free.
Hetty combines the yoghurt and salt in a large bowl and beats until smooth. Gradually adding the flour, stirring, until a stiff dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough, adding a little more flour if needed, until soft and slightly sticky.
But, with a busy house like mine (Sally is mum to 4 girls!), I use a Kitchen Aid with dough attachment for this part and it’s so simple! Combine yoghurt and salt as above and gradually add flour. In a few minutes, dough is ready.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Place the flatbread dough on a floured surface and divide into six balls.
(If I’m wanting a crunchier flatbread, more pizza like, I’ll add a few handfuls of semolina onto my floured surface.)
Roll each ball into a 16cm circle. Brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt.
We like to cook ours on the BBQ plate.
Lightly oil plate and cook over a medium-high heat, add the flatbread one at a time and cook for 30-40 seconds on each side until they puff up and are golden in parts. Turn and repeat on the other side - they can burn quickly so don’t overcook!
Enjoy xx
NO YEAST YOGHURT FLATBREADS - DANIELLE ALVAREZ (FRED’S)
Makes 6
Ingredients
180g (1 cup + 2-3 tbsp) plain or baker’s flour
220g yoghurt (1 scant cup full fat or non-fat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine salt
+ oil or butter for cooking them
Optional:
1 clove minced garlic gently cooked in butter.
Chopped parsley.
Chopped coriander.
Method
Mix the dough ingredients together in a bowl using a spoon, and then dump onto a dusted bench.
Kneed for two minutes and add enough flour to keep it from being too sticky that it sticks to your hands while kneading but try not to add so much that it becomes dry (how much you use can vary a lot on account of all the different flours out there). A little sticky is ok!
Divide into 6 pieces and shape into balls.
Oil them and allow to rest 30 minutes.
Press them out thin on a flour dusted bench and then brush off any excess flour.
Cook in an oiled or buttered skillet over medium / high head until golden, about 1 minute per side.
Can be made ahead and re-warmed.
Brush with garlic butter or serve as is.