Today, I am making gyros and I have never been a fan of store bought flatbread. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love finding something at the store that makes things quicker and easier, but once you have tasted warm homemade flatbread, its kind of tough to get it out of your mind (this should serve as an official warning before proceeding).
Flat bread is really versatile. Of course, it is the perfect vessel for greek gyros, but it also makes a great base for little pizzas, paninis or can be served alongside a bowl of warm curry. It is so good that I often just eat it plain… especially when it is still warm…
Let’s get started!
Begin by gathering 3 cups of bread flour (plus, a little more for kneading), 3/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup of whole milk, 2 teaspoons of instant yeast, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Start by combining 3/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup of whole milk and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a microwave safe cup. You need to warm this mixture in the microwave to somewhere between 100-110 degrees or similar to what a warm bath feels like. It should not be hot, just nice and warm.
In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups of bread flour, 2 teaspoons of instant yeast, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Form a little well in the center of the flour mixture and add the warm water, milk and olive oil.
Use a silicone spatula to combine the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms and then transfer the dough onto a floured work surface.
Dust the dough lightly with flour and knead for about 3 minutes. This dough is soft and should feel slightly tacky. If it feels too sticky while you are kneading, add a pinch or two of additional flour, but only add what is absolutely necessary. Adding too much flour to the dough of this flatbread will make it dense and dry, so only add what is needed in order to prevent the dough from sticking too much to your hands or your work surface.
Look how much this dough puffed up in just 30 minutes! This is a good indication of how light and fluffy the flatbread will be. Transfer the dough out of the bowl and onto a lightly floured worked surface. Use a sharp knife or dough cutter to divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
Form each portion into a round ball by tucking the sides under, rotating and repeating until a smooth, round ball of dough is formed. Set the formed portions onto a lightly floured surface and allow the formed portions to rest for about 10 minutes while you form the remaining portions of dough and preheat a flat skillet or griddle over medium high heat.
Once the dough has rested and your skillet is almost warm enough, roll out 1 of the portions into a 8 inch round that is approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Place a single rolled out portion of dough onto a very warm, dry skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on the first side or until the underside is lightly charred. You will see some bubbles forming on the top of the dough right before it is ready to be flipped.
Flip the dough and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the other side is also lightly charred and the flatbread feels springy to a light touch.
Place the cooked flatbreads inside a large kitchen towel to keep them warm. As you cook each portion, stack them on top of each other in the towel. This will not only keep them warm, but it will also help to make them flexible for easy folding later on.
Aren’t they lovely? This stack of warm flatbread just makes me so happy deep down inside. I don’t know if it is the fact that I know how delicious they are or if seeing this stack makes me think about all of the wonderful things I can fill them with, fold them around or dip them into…
… but, every time I see them, I smile and thats whats important in life, right?
These flatbreads are soft, pillowy and beautifully foldable. They have great flavor and are just perfect to use as the base for pizza or to fill with some shredded lettuce and chicken or to dip into warm curry…. literally anything you want to use this flatbread for, you are going to love it.
If you whipped these fabulous flatbreads up to enjoy on their own, you may want to brush them with some melted butter and sprinkle them with a little garlic salt and parsley… optional, but even more delicious.
Buon appetite!
Soft Flatbread
Ingredients
- 3 cups of bread flour (plus, extra for kneading)
- 2 teaspoons of instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 3/4 cup of water, warm
- 1/2 cup of whole milk, warm
Instructions
- Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of whole milk in a heat proof glass measuring cup and warm to between 100-110 degrees
- In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups of bread flour, 2 teaspoons of instant yeast, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt to combine and form a small well in the center of the flour mixture
- Add the warmed olive oil, water and milk mixture into the well and begin mixing until a shaggy dough forms
- Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for about 3 minutes (adding a pinch of flour if the dough is too sticky)
- When the dough feels springy and just slightly tacky, form it into a round ball, place the dough into a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover the dough with a kitchen towel
- Rest the dough for 30 minutes
- Divide the dough into 8 equally sized portions
- Form each portion into a smooth, round ball and once all of the portions have been shaped, cover them with a kitchen towel and let the rest for about 10 minutes
- Place a flat skillet or griddle over medium high heat to preheat while you shape the portions of dough
- Working with one portion of dough at a time, gently roll the dough out into an 8 inch round that is about 1/4” thick
- Place the rolled out dough onto a warm, dry skillet and cook for 2 minutes on the first side
- Once the underside is lightly charred, flip the flatbread and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side
- Repeat the process with each portion of dough, stacking cooked flatbreads under a kitchen towel to stay warm as the remaining portions of dough are cooked
- Enjoy immediately and wrap leftovers in foil or a large towel and store at room temperature for up to 3 days
