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I do apologise, I did not intend to be gone this long! What with a few big recipe development projects, freelancing, trips away (don’t worry, I’ve got more Newcastle posts coming soon, and I’m off on an actual holiday I’ll no doubt be sharing too next month), and getting sick, I figured I’d break my unintended hiatus with a recipe that has quickly become the backbone of my warm weather kitchen: these Easy Everyday Oregano Sumac Flatbreads.
I usually make them with the suggested hit of dried oregano, sumac and black pepper as they have such a great, slightly unusual flavour, but I have made them plain to great success: they’re now what I make to house gyros meat, to a very great success might I add as the first thing I made (aside from my Dad’s usual birthday cake) for his birthday lunch at the weekend. Even when we totally overloaded with fillings, they still held together. You can’t ask any more of a humble flatbread recipe.
What makes these flatbreads different?
Well, nothing, they’re just a brilliant, foolproof recipe for them, which is why I’ve kept going back to it over and over again.
But, what makes them different from other flatbread recipes I’ve tried is the amount of oil used which keeps them nice and supple, the brilliant technique instead of rolling them out to stretch them out on a well oiled plate, and the tip I got from Samit when they were doing their demo to stuff them into a sealed plastic bag while they’re still warm (I do this as I cook them) to keep them soft and pliable for wrapping and scooping.
I also love how versatile they are: as they were originally cooked on heated oil drums, they can pretty much cook anywhere: at home, I make them on my Le Creuset Non-Stick Grill Pan (ad / gifted), and when I’m at my parents house I cook them directly onto the simmering plate of the AGA, with just a sheet of AGA Bake-O-Glide (ad) to stop them sticking.
These simple griddled flatbreads made with sumac, black pepper and dried oregano are the perfect accompaniment to a Middle Eastern-inspired feast – they also hold together well as a wrap stuffed with meats, veggies and a delicious yogurt sauce!
Ingredients
Scale
250g (1 cup) plain (all purpose) flour
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp dried yeast
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
freshly ground black pepper
150ml (just over 1/2 cup) warm water
light olive oil
Instructions
Combine the flour, dried oregano, salt, sumac, yeast, sugar, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and make a well in the middle. Add 1 tbsp of the olive oil plus the water, and bring together into a rough dough with a fork.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for around 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and supple. Return to the bowl, cover with kitchen wrap, and allow to rest for 1 hour – it will have just about doubled in size.
Heat a griddle pan or large saucepan over a very high heat. Divide the dough into 4. Lightly oil a dinner plate and using oiled fingers, gently push the dough out into circles – practice will make for better flatbreads with less holes!
Griddle each flatbread for a few minutes until just charring on each side, instantly transferring to a large, sealed plastic bag to steam the moment each one is cooked.
Notes
I find if I’m doubling the mixture to make more flatbreads it is easier to do the kneading in the stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
I'm a food writer living in the English Countryside. Welcome to my online diary where I share easy, weeknight recipes, foodie travel diaries and some of the best places I've eaten out recently.
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