Prep Time : 5 + 15 Minutes | Cook Time : 20 Minutes | Total Time : 2 hours | Difficulty : Easy
I know, I know, two savoury recipes in a row! It’s like we’re in opposite land. I’ve spent the last two weeks on a sugar fast to give my body a healthy kick-start going into winter. I know there is no way I can cut out sugar long term but sometimes it really helps to have a little sprint to reset my body a bit to curb cravings. Making lolly cake to send to my Dad for his birthday was MURDER. But you’ll be so proud of me guys and gals – I didn’t lick a single spoon or scrape a single bowl. Mostly because I ran hot soapy water on everything ASAP so I couldn’t…
In our household we’re probably 80% vegetarian. Mostly because we love tasty tasty plants. So I got myself a copy of Yottam Ottolenghi’s Plenty. One of my favourite recipes that I will make over and over again forever are these flatbreads. I took some liberties on seasoning but the base recipe is pretty much unchanged. If you like it (and eating plants) you should add Plenty to your collection. It made me cook aubergine guys. The vegetable I thought would never taste any good at home…
Apart from seasoning these flat breads have like three ingredients and require a bowl and a pan. There is literally no reason why you can’t make them for dinner tonight. NONE. At least an hour and a half out from dinner, make the dough. I like to bash the cumin seeds a little before adding them to bring out more flavour.
Put everything in a bowl except the oil.
Mix it with your hands or a dough scraper until it comes together. A half circle scraper with a silicone edge is super useful for lots of things and they’re cheap too.
Tip it out onto the bench and knead it for about a minute until it’s even and smooth. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
When it’s time to make dinner, divide the dough into 6 to 8 portions.
Roll each into a ball and then roll out into a circle about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick. If you’ve divided into eight the circles will be about 5 inches in diameter.
Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. I like to use my trusty cast iron for this. Before you cook each flat bread brush one side with vegetable oil and place oil side down in the pan. You can oil the pan which will give you crispier edges, but oiling the breads instead cuts down on residual pan oil which can start to smoke as you get through all the breads.
While the first side is cooking, brush the top with oil ready to flip over. The breads will puff a bit and brown nicely on the bottom. Cook them for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. The hotter the pan the better the puff, but experiment with your burners and pan to get the best balance of puff without burning the bottoms.
Keep the breads warm under a cloth until they are all cooked and serve immediately.
These breads are great as part of a mezze platter, as a side to a meal or just a snack spread with hummus. They also freeze well – just reheat in a pan for the best texture.
Cumin Seed + Herb Flat Breads
Prep Time : 5 + 15 mins | Cook Time : 20 mins | Total Time : 2 hours | Difficulty : Easy | Makes : 6 to 8 small flatbreads
Soft chewy flatbreads ready in no time at all.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (140 grams) wholemeal flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lightly crushed cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (140 grams) greek yoghurt
- vegetable oil, for frying
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Heavy frying pan/ skillet
Directions:
At least an hour and a half out from dinner, make the dough. I like to bash the cumin seeds a little before adding them to bring out more flavour.
Put everything in a bowl except the oil. Mix it with your hands or a dough scraper until it comes together.
Tip it out onto the bench and knead it for about a minute until it’s even and smooth. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
When it’s time to make dinner, divide the dough into 6 to 8 portions. Roll each into a ball and then roll out into a circle about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick. If you’ve divided into eight the circles will be about 5 inches in diameter.
Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. I like to use my trusty cast iron for this. Before you cook each flat bread brush one side with vegetable oil and place oil side down in the pan. You can oil the pan which will give you crispier edges, but oiling the breads instead cuts down on residual pan oil which can start to smoke as you get through all the breads.
While the first side is cooking, brush the top with oil ready to flip over. The breads will puff a bit and brown nicely on the bottom. Cook them for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. The hotter the pan the better the puff, but experiment with your burners and pan to get the best balance of puff without burning the bottoms.
Keep the breads warm under a cloth until they are all cooked and serve immediately. These breads are great as part of a mezze platter, as a side to a meal or just a snack spread with hummus. They also freeze well – just reheat in a pan for the best texture.
Cook’s Notes:
- These flatbreads are great with no herbs and spices if you prefer, or switch out the flavours for something you prefer
– Eat straight after cooking, or freeze and reheat later in a hot pan with a little oil –
Adapted from Plenty.
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Great recipe! I used atta flour, cilantro, and sourdough starter (instead of yogurt) because that’s what I had on hand and added 1/4 c of warm water to get the right consistency. I didn’t use any oil and they were delicious with any curry which I make often. Thank you very much for sharing. Will make these again and again.
Hi Denise – I’m so glad you liked them! I make them pretty often too just because they’re so quick and easy – might have to make some for dinner today!