Grilled flatbread with Green Charmoula

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to master the art of pita making. Well, even if I wasn’t able to master it then at least I could try for something better than the thin,dry supermarket pita I get here. I found a recipe online which was so easy and so good that within two attempts I made pita which tasted as anything I’ve had anywhere. This recipe links to a step by step video which is so clear and simple that you can’t go wrong. My supermarket pita days are over. (Why did I wait so long….?)

Greatly encouraged by my success, I decided to venture further into the world of flatbreads. I found a recipe on Epicurious that produced exactly what I was looking for – a soft and slightly chewy texture with lots of flavour. Like the pita, it isn’t complicated to make but this dough is quite wet and sticky so be prepared!

I followed the original recipe as faithfully as I could, only substituting Greek yoghurt for sour cream and using only strong white flour rather than a white/wholemeal mix. I loved the results.

I also made the green charmoula salsa to spread on top and which looks just like the schug of the previous post, but is quite different. This one is a blend of mint, parsley, cilantro and ginger and is also utterly delicious.

The great thing about a flatbread like this is you can leave the dough to rise in the fridge for up to 2 days in advance so there’s no last minute mess. Right when you want to prepare it, just take it out – or take a part of it out –  and cook it.  It cooks in a matter of minutes. And the fresher the better….

I loved the minty green charmoula with sprinkles of parmesan cheese and will make it again but the options for toppings are endless. Try the schug, try pesto, try sun dried tomato paste, just try anything you fancy. Roll it round a kebab, some spicy roast lamb, top it with artichokes, cheese and prosciutto or jamon….

Here is the flatbread recipe for 8 generous portions. It may be good to make half first time round.

Flatbread dough

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour   OR  7 cups strong white flour
• 3 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yoghurt
• Vegetable oil (for brushing)

• Method

1. 1. Dissolve yeast in 3 cups of warm water in a large bowl. Stir. Add  flour and mix with your fingertips until it forms a shaggy dough  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

 

1. 1. Sprinkle salt over dough, then add sour cream/yoghurt; knead until well incorporated and dough pulls away from sides of bowl and holds together in a loose, wet ball, about 5 minutes (dough will be very soft, wet an sticky; moisten your hands to prevent sticking if needed). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

 

1. 1. Punch dough down and knead very briefly to knock out all the air. Cover and chill for up to 2 days. It will rise slowly in fridge and the flavour will continue to develop. Or you can let the dough stand at room temperature until doubled in size, 3-4 hours depending on the air temperature.  Chill for 1 hour before grilling to make it easier to handle.

 

1. 1. To cook, use either a plancha (as I did) , a charcoal grill or a gas grill on high. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Generously flour your work surface and roll or press out the pieces of dough with your hands into a 1/4″-thick. into rustically uneven rectangles.

 

1. Lightly oil your surface and grill your flatbreads for a few minutes on each side. They may puff up a bit but that’s good. Remove, put your topping on immediately and eat while still piping hot and delicious.

 

 Green Charmoula

• A couple of hot green chilies
• Handful of mint leaves
• Handful of flat parsley leaves
• Handful of cilantro leaves
• I tsp fresh chopped ginger
• Olive oil
• Salt, black pepper
• Squeeze or two of lemon juice

Whizz it all in a blender/food processor. Add more olive oil as desired.

 

Now I’ve read that you can produce something similar using store-bought pizza dough which of course would save you some work. But there’s nothing like the sense of satisfaction that you get from doing it yourself and that for me is half the fun!