10 Easy Flatbread Recipes To Make This Week
Photography: NEIL RANKIN
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10 Easy Flatbread Recipes To Make This Week

Flatbreads are delicious, versatile and pretty simple to make. From Mexican tortillas to Indian naans, they can be filled with everything from Korean greens and smoked salmon to ricotta and asparagus. Here, ten chefs explain how to make your own at home – plus, some tasty topping suggestions if you decide to go down the shop-bought route.
Photography: NEIL RANKIN

How To Make Your Own Flatbreads

Chef Koj, Learning with Experts, Japanese Cuisine

Serves
6
Total Time
20 Minutes
Ingredients
300g of organic plain flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp of salt
50g of butter
200ml of milk
½ tbsp of oil
Method
Step 1

Mix the butter and milk together and heat until the butter has melted.

Step 2

Add the flour and salt to a mixing bowl or direct on a clean worktop and incorporate the melted butter and milk. Knead for 3-4 minutes until smooth – add more flour if it is sticky (organic flour usually takes more liquid).

Step 3

Cover in cling film and rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

Step 4

Dust the worktop with flour, cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Roll out each bowl to less than half a centimetre thick.

Step 5

Pre-heat ½ tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan over a medium-high heat. Cook each flatbread for 1-2 minutes until it puffs up, then flip it and cook the other side.

Step 6

Stack the flatbreads inside a clean tea towel (trapping the steam helps make them softer for folding). You can brush the flatbreads with melted butter or garlic butter.

Alex Head, Social Pantry

Serves
4
Total Time
20 Minutes
Ingredients
350g of self-raising flour
350g of yogurt
½ tsp of baking powder
Pinch of salt
Method
Step 1

Mix together all the ingredients and shape into a ball.

Step 2

On a floured surface cut the dough in half and leave half aside.

Step 3

Cut into six and roll into small balls. Gently press each ball into a flatbread shape.

Step 4

Fry on a medium heat in a dry frying pan until brown and crispy on each side.

Inspired? Here are eight recipes and toppings to try…

Grilled Cucumbers & Burnt Harissa Flatbread: Neil Rankin, Temper

Serves
4
Total Time
20 Minutes
Ingredients
2 whole cucumbers
2 whole courgettes
2 red onions
Dried rose petals
2 lemons
4 flatbreads
Sumac
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of mint
Salt
For the harissa:
6 kashmiri chillies
Cumin seeds
Caraway seeds
Coriander seeds
1 garlic bulb
5 mild red chillies
4 tomatoes, grilled
For the tahini sauce:
1 jar of tahini paste
Honey
Lemon juice
Oil
Salt
Method
Step 1

Throw the garlic into the fire in some foil.

Step 2

Grill the chillies and tomatoes until black and toast the spices. Blend or use pestle and mortar to make the harissa.

Step 3

Grill the onions, courgettes, cucumbers and lemons.

Step 4

Add the lemons to the tahini and honey.

Step 5

Grill the bread then plate everything on top.

Step 6

Top with the sauces, sumac and herbs.

Visit Napoleon.com

Loaded Vegan Maple Naan: Maple From Canada

Serves
6
Total Time
25 Minutes
Ingredients
For the bread:
250g of strong white flour
8 tbsp of low-fat soy yoghurt
2 tsp of fast-acting yeast
1 tsp of salt
4 tsp of maple syrup
4 tsp of olive oil
190ml of hot/warm water
Method
Step 1

Mix the dry and wet bread ingredients separately.

Step 2

Combine all ingredients and knead for 5 minutes, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 60-90 minutes in a warm place or until it has doubled in size.

Step 3

Once risen, divide into six pieces and shape into rectangles 2cm deep.

Step 4

Fry each in a lightly oiled pan on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until browned.

Step 5

Remove from the pan and leave to cool on a wire rack, repeating the process until all naans have been cooked.

Step 6

In the same pan, fry onion on high heat until starting to brown, add the peppers and tomatoes and fry until softened.

Step 7

Brush naan with melted sunflower spread and add the fried vegetables and sprinkle coriander. Mix remaining yoghurt with chopped mint and dollop on top.

Prawn Saganaki, My Deli Kitchen

Serves
2
Total Time
15 Minutes
Ingredients
1 red or yellow pepper, or a mixture of both
3 spring onions
175g of shelled raw tiger prawns
A little olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
A squeeze of lemon juice
2 flatbreads
1 handful of mixed salad leaves
25g of feta cheese, crumbled
A drizzle of sweet chilli sauce
Method
Step 1

Slice the pepper and cut the spring onions in half. Put on a plate with the prawns and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Step 2

Cook the vegetables and prawns on a hot griddle pan, turning until chargrilled on both sides before transferring to a plate. Cut each of the spring onions into three pieces and squeeze over the lemon juice. Warm the flatbreads on the griddle pan.

Step 3

Heap a handful of salad leaves in each of the warm flatbreads, then top with the vegetables and prawns. Sprinkle over the feta and sweet chilli sauce. Serve straight away with a squeeze of lemon.

Pink Lady Apple, Cheddar & Prosciutto Flatbread: Mirabeau

Serves
4
Total Time
2 Hours 30 Minutes
Ingredients
For the dough:
200ml of lukewarm water
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of instant yeast
300g of plain flour
1 tsp of salt
50g of olive oil
To garnish:
250g of cheddar cheese
4 slices of prosciutto
1 Pink Lady apple
2 tbsp of runny honey
1 handful of fresh basil
Method
Step 1

Prepare the dough: in a bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the olive oil. Using the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer, mix until the dough is smooth. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (it should take 1 to 2 hours).

Step 2

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer dough onto a floured surface. Take half of it and roll it into an oblong shape of about 5mm thickness. Place it onto the baking sheet, then repeat with the rest of the dough. Keep aside for 10 minutes. In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden, poking bubbles that might form with a knife or fork to deflate them.

Step 3

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Add thin slices of cheddar, shredded prosciutto and thin slices of apples on the flatbread. Drizzle with honey and bake for another 10 minutes. Add a handful of fresh basil and pepper to taste just before serving.

Step 4

Serve with a green salad and a chilled glass of rosé.

Garlic & Watercress Flatbreads: Watercress.co.uk

Serves
6
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
250g of plain flour
1½ tsp of baking powder
½ tsp of salt
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of honey
170ml of milk
1 tsp of garlic, minced
2 tbsp of watercress, finely chopped
Method
Step 1

Add all the ingredients for the flatbreads to a large bowl. Mix until combined, you are looking for a soft but not too sticky dough so add a little extra flour if needed.

Step 2

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes or until soft and fully hydrated. Cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Weigh the dough and divide into 6 balls. Roll each ball so it is approximately 5-8mm thick, the thicker the dough, the fluffier the bread.

Step 4

Heat the oil over a medium heat and cook each flatbread for 2 minutes each side or until puffed and lightly charred, stack and store wrapped in foil (they can be warmed in the foil in a low oven if making in advance).

Korean Spring Onion Flatbreads With Smoked Salmon, Avocado & Horseradish Cream: Gemma Simmonite, Gastrono-Me

Serves
4
Total Time
45 Minutes
Ingredients
For the flatbreads:
250g of plain flour
½ tsp of salt
180ml of boiling water
1 tbsp of garlic oil
5 spring onions sliced, save some for dressing the plate
60ml of vegetable oil
For the horseradish cream:
100g of cream cheese
50g of crème fraiche
15g of creamed horseradish
1 small pinch of dried red chilli flakes
½ tsp of white pepper
¼ juice of lemon
1 tbsp of snipped chives, save some for dressing the plate
Ground black pepper and salt, to taste
To serve:
240g of smoked salmon
1 avocado, sliced
A selection of baby leaves
Garlic oil, for dressing
Method
Step 1

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds. With the motor running pour in the boiling water in a slow stream and continue until the dough starts to come together.

Step 2

On a floured surface knead the dough a little and put in a bowl covered with cling film and allow to prove at room temperature for 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.

Step 3

When proved, divide the dough until 4 equal pieces.

Step 4

Take one piece of dough, (keep the rest covered until finished with the first) and roll into and 8-inch circle. Brush lightly with garlic oil and give a sprinkle of salt, then sprinkle with a quarter of the spring onions. Carefully roll the dough into a snake shape, then shape into a coil finishing by tucking the end underneath. Flatten the coil with your hand and again roll into an 8-inch circle. These steps are important because this re-rolling creates the flaky deliciousness of the crispy flatbread

Step 5

Continue with the other three flatbreads in the same way and keep them under a damp clean cloth until ready to fry.

Step 6

Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to a non-stick frying pan and set over a medium heat. When hot carefully slide 1 flatbread into the pan and cook on one side until golden, approximately three minutes, then cook on the other side the same. Keep warm in a very low oven until all the flatbreads are cooked.

Step 7

For the horseradish cream, in a bowl simply beat all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined, taste to make sure of your flavours and tweak where necessary, then chill until required.

Step 8

Place a warm flatbread on each plate and arrange with curls of smoked salmon, avocado slices and leaves. In the centre decorate with a dollop of horseradish cream. Sprinkle with more spring onions, chives, ground black pepper, a drizzle of garlic oil and a wedge of lemon.

Turkish Pepper Pide: Henry Russell, Belazu

Serves
4
Total Time
35 Minutes
Ingredients
For the dough:
250g of plain flour
1 tsp of sugar
3 sachets of active dried yeast
½ tsp of salt
175ml of tepid water
For the meat filling:
170g of lamb mince
½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
8 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
10g of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp of Turkish pepper paste
Salt and pepper
For the veg filling:
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
250g washed spinach
2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp Turkish pepper paste
Salt and pepper
130g of cheddar, grated
To finish:
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp seeds, e.g. sesame, poppy or black onion
Method
Step 1

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix together. Dissolve the yeast in the water, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the water. Bring the flour and water together with a knife until combined, turn out onto a clean work surface that has been dusted with a little bit of flour, knead for 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, to stop it sticking. Put the kneaded dough back in the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Divide the dough into 4. Roll into a ball, cover and allow to rest for a further 15 minutes. Whilst the dough is resting, you can start to prepare your fillings. For the meat filling, put all the ingredients in a bowl, season well and mix until combined and then set aside.

Step 3

For the veg filling, place a large pan on a medium to high heat, add the olive oil and when hot add the onion. Fry for 3-4 minutes until soft and then add the spinach and season with the salt and pepper. Cook until just wilted, remove from the pan and place in a colander to allow the excess liquid to drain. Put the spinach in a bowl, add the lemon zest and juice and the pepper paste and mix well.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 240°C. Get two baking trays ready, lined with greaseproof paper. Dust a clean work surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll each ball of dough into a large rectangle and then place on the tray.

Step 5

Divide each filling between two rectangles of dough and spread into a thin even layer. Fold up the edges by 2cm around the rectangle and pinch the dough together at the top and the bottom, leaving you with a boat shape. For the veg filling, spread the cheese over the spinach mixture and repeat the folding technique.

Visit Belazu.com

Ricotta & Asparagus Flatbread: Jersey Royals

Serves
4
Total Time
45 Minutes
Ingredients
For the base:
500g of strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp of easy-blend yeast
½ tsp of sugar
For the topping:
300g of Jersey Royal potatoes, sliced thinly
75g of asparagus spears, trimmed
250g of ricotta cheese
2 smoked garlic cloves (or just use normal), finely chopped
2 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
75g of mange tout, sliced
75g of peas, defrosted if frozen
100g of grated mozzarella
15g of parmesan cheese, freshly grated
50g of pea shoots
Method
Step 1

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar with ½ tsp salt and 400ml of tepid water. Mix into a dough, tip the dough out onto the work surface and knead for five minutes until smooth and elastic. Return to the bowl, cover loosely with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size.

Step 2

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for five to six minutes until just soft. Add the asparagus for one minute, then drain and refresh in cold water. Beat the ricotta with the garlic, olive oil and plenty of freshly ground pepper and some salt.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to fan 200°C. Dust a couple of baking trays with a little flour. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll out or hand stretch as thinly as you can.

Step 4

Spread with the ricotta mixture, top with the potato slices, asparagus, mange tout and peas. Then scatter over both the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and the base is crisp. Serve hot drizzled with extra olive oil and the pea shoots.

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