MID EASTERN FLATBREAD

It seems every culture has its particular flatbread. Hunter-gatherer societies around 22,000 years ago already had the means to turn grains into flour and started baking on the open fire. This one is a Mid Eastern version of bread. The recipe makes such a lovely softdough, I ended up kneading it by hand; there was just no point using a beater.

MID EASTERN FLATBREAD 

Dough: 

3 cups flour 

2/3 cup warm milk 

2/3 cup warm water 

3 tsp instant dry yeast 

1 3/4 tsp sugar 

1 1/2 tsp salt 

3 Tbsp olive oil 

cooking oil for the pan 

Topping: 

 butter

 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour with yeast and salt.

Add warm milk and water and stir until the liquids absorb.

Add olive oil and knead again for up to10 minutes until very smooth.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an olive oil greased bowl and flip over.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled.

Place it on a large cutting board and cut into 6 parts.

Roll each piece into a ball, cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Set a large nonstick skillet on the stove, coat it with olive oil let it heat up on medium heat.

Sprinkle the cutting board sparingly with flour and using a roller, roll out the first flatbread.  

Cook until the top bubbles up in about 2-3minutes.

In the meantime roll out the next flatbread.

Flip the frying flatbread over, and lightly push down the sides with your spatula.

This will help the flatbread to rise up and to make a pocket in the middle.

When both sides have a nice colour, move the flatbread onto a heated plate.

Spread a sliver of butter on the top. It will quickly melt onto the hot flatbread.

Continue frying the flatbreads until all the dough is used up. But you do not need to oil the pan before the remaining flatbreads.