flatbread – My Whisk and I

Filled Focaccia

July 13, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g flour
10g instant yeast
340ml lukewarm water
10ml sugar
10ml salt
20ml olive oil
Chaloner olive crisp
olives
olive oil
6-7 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Pour the lukewarm water into a jug and sprinkle the yeast over.
Add the sugar, salt and olive oil and stir the mixture for 30 seconds.
Add the flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and pour in the yeast mixture.
Once the mixture comes together as a dough, turn the mixer to medium speed and knead for 4 minutes. until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
Lightly oil a clean mixing bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to prove for an hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Knock the dough back by kneading it by hand for 2 minutes.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces and roll each into a circle of more-or-less the same size.
Push the tips of your fingers into the circles so that it forms indents in the dough.
Drizzle some chilli crisp over the dough and dot it with olives.
Place one disc on top of the other and then place it on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Stick the rosemary sprigs into the focaccia and drizzle generously with olive oil.
Cover the bread loosely with a kitchen towel and set aside for 15 minutes.
Bake the focaccia in the oven for 25 minutes.

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Chimichurri Focaccia

August 14, 2023August 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

340ml lukewarm water
10g instant yeast
10ml sugar
10ml salt
20ml olive oil
500g flour
Chimichurri Sauce:
60ml olive oil
15ml red wine vinegar
60ml finely chopped parsley
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml thyme leaves
2,5ml salt

1 onion, sliced into 1,5cm rings

Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with its dough hook.
Sprinkle over the yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Add the sugar, salt and olive oil to the bowl with the yeast and stir to dissolve.
Turn the mixer on a low speed and gradually add the flour.
Mix/knead on medium speed for 6 minutes.
Lightly oil a clean mixing bowl, place the dough in it and cover with a damp tea towel.
Set aside to rise for 90 minutes.

For the chimichurri sauce:
Blitz the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic, thyme and salt together.

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 38cm x 23cm roasting tin with cooking spray.
Place the dough in the tin and evenly spread it out by poking your fingers down into the dough.
Randomly press the onion rings into the focaccia dough, cover with a tea towel and rest for another 15 minutes.
Drizzle the chimichurri over the dough and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

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Bulgur Wheat Salad

July 27, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500ml cooked bulgur wheat
250ml parsley, chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
80ml chopped pickled cucumber
125ml roasted red peppers, chopped
250ml pomegranate seeds
80ml raisins
Dressing:
60ml olive oil
60ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
2,5ml granulated mustard
5ml sugar
2,5ml salt

Add the cooked bulgur wheat, parsley, onion, pickled cucumber, red peppers, pomegranate seeds and raisins to a large mixing bowl and toss together.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together until amalgamated and drizzle over the salad.

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Aubergine Flatbread

July 25, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

60ml olive oil
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
150g – 200g aubergine, cubed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml sumac
lemon juice
pomegranate seeds
8 – 10 small flatbreads, about 8cm diameter

Pour the olive oil in to a pan and set it over medium to medium-high heat.
Add the chickpeas, aubergine cubes, garlic and sumac and cook for about 10 minutes, until the aubergine is soft.
Take from the heat and roughly mash together so that you have mashed chickpeas with texture.
Smear the mixture on to the flatbreads, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle over some pomegranate seeds.
Serve as a canapé with drinks.

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Turkish Flatbread/Bazlama

July 2, 2023May 7, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

Bazlama is known as village bread in Turkey and is a super tender flatbread, very similar to naan. This bread can be cooked in a pan or on an open fire.

12,2ml instant yeast
15ml sugar
310ml warm water
190ml Greek yoghurt
30ml olive oil
10ml salt
4 x 250ml + 125ml flour + extra
60ml parsley, finely chopped

Add the yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Pour in the water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes, until frothy.
Now add the yoghurt, olive oil and salt and whisk together by hand.
Add the flour and parsley and turn the mixer on a low speed until the dough comes together.
If it is VERY wet you can add another 60ml of flour.
Knead the dough in the machine on a medium speed for 5 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide into 10 equal pieces.
Dust with flour, cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Roll each dough portion to a 15cm diameter circle.
Brush the tops with olive oil.
Place a pan on medium-low heat and allow it to warm up.
Slice the first flatbread, oiled side down, into the pan and brush the top with olive oil.
Cook the bread for 1minute 40 seconds and flip it over. Cook for another 1 minute 40 seconds.
The bread should have bubbles after cooking for the first 1 minute and about 20 seconds. If your bread does not look like the photograph below, turn the heat up a notch.
Repeat with the other breads.
Keep the cooked flatbreads wrapped in a tea towel until you are ready to serve them.

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Feta-Filled Flatbreads

May 3, 2023April 22, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g self-raising flour
170g greek yoghurt
Filling:
50g baby spinach
50g feta cheese, crumbed
30ml cream cheese, room temperature
1 clove of garlic, minced
a few grindings of black pepper
40ml frozen peas, defrosted
a handful of mint leaves, chopped

Add the flour and yoghurt to a mixing bowl and bring together.
Knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes – you want a soft, bouncy dough. (Add more flour if you have to, but the dough becomes less sticky as you knead it).
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Place the spinach in a bowl and pour boiling water over. Stand for 1 minutes, drain and squeeze the spinach as dry as you can get it, in a tea towel.
Chop it up and add it to a bowl.
Add the feta, cream cheese, garlic, pepper, peas and mint and mix together.
Unwrap the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions.
Make a ball from each portion and then press it into a circle with your fingers.
Spoon a tablespoon full of filling in the centre and then bring in the edges and seal by squeezing it together.
Turn the filled disc over and flatten out with your fingers until about 1,5cm thick.
Set aside and repeat the process with the rest of the dough and filling.
Place a non-stick pan on medium-low heat and add a small knob of butter.
Place the flatbreads in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes PER SIDE.
Serve warm.

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Potato-Cheese Flatbread

December 11, 2022December 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Yields two flatbreads

3 potatoes, cooked (about 250 – 350ml cooked potato)
60ml butter
250ml cheese, grated (I use parmesan and cheddar)
5ml salt
5ml garlic salt
15ml chives, chopped
250ml yoghurt
375ml self-raising flour
butter

Mash the cooked potato while it is still warm and mix in the butter, cheese, salt, garlic salt and chives. Set aside to cool.
Add the yoghurt and flour to a bowl and combine.
Knead until you have a smooth ball of dough – add a small amount of flour if the dough is too sticky.
Divide the dough in two balls.
Roll out into a circle of 1cm thickness.
Add half the potato mixture, flatten into a smaller circle and gather the edges of the dough around the filling. Pinch together the dough to seal the potato filling.
Flip the filled dough and gently roll it out to a disk shape that will fit your pan.
Pan-fry on both sides on medium heat, until golden, brushing with melted butter.
Serve the bread warm.

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Chinese Flatbread

September 13, 2022September 12, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Also called Scallion Flatbread or Green Onion Flatbread, these tiny breads are flaky with a crispy outside and wonderfully soft inside. Easy and very straightforward to make!

250g flour
160g HOT water
sunflower oil

30ml sunflower oil
30ml flour
2,5ml salt
40g green onion/scallion, chopped

Add the flour to a mixing bowl and pour in the hot water. Stir with a spatula/spoon until no more flour can be seen.
Combine the mixture into a rough-looking dough with your hands.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
Uncover and knead by hand until it becomes smooth.
Rub a thin layer of oil over the dough as well as on the work surface.
Roll the dough into a rectangle of about 43cm x 33cm.
Add the 30 ml sunflower oil, flour and salt tot a small mixing bowl and mix together.
Brush the mixture over the rolled dough and sprinkle the green onion over.
Roll the dough, from the short side, into a log that is not too tight.
Cut into 4 equal pieces.
Stand a piece on its cut side, press it down with your hand to flatten slightly and then roll out into a 13cm diameter circle. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and pour a small amount of oil into it.
Wait for the pan to heat up and place the breads in the pan if you can fit all of them. You may also cook 2 breads at a time if space is a problem.
Place a lid on the pan and cook the flatbread for 3 minutes.
Flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes until done.
Serve while warm.

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Greek Filled Flatbreads (Plakopsy)

February 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is such an easy filled bread to make and is guaranteed to transport you straight back to that Greek Taverna on the beach and all its wonderful aromas and tastes!! It is crispy, subtly flavoured and makes a great addition to mezze. Yields four flatbreads.

1 egg
200ml water
a pinch of salt
450g flour
400g feta cheese, crumbed
60ml thyme leaves
60ml chives, chopped
50ml olive oil plus extra for brushing the breads

Add the egg, water and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed for a minute or so.
Add the flour a few tablespoons at a time with the engine running.
Mix/knead the dough until it comes together and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. About 2-3 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
Flour a work surface and roll a piece of dough out as thin as you can, aiming to end up with a rough square of 25cm x 25cm.
Brush the square with some olive oil.
Sprinkle a little less than a quarter of the crumbed feta onto the top half of the square.
Now sprinkle some thyme and chives over the feta.
Fold the bottom half of the dough over the half with the cheese and lightly press it down with the palms of your hands.
Brush the folded half of dough with olive oil and sprinkle the rest of the quarter of feta over one half. Repeat with some herbs.
Fold the one half over the other and lightly press together. You will now have a 4-layer piece of dough with filling.
Repeat the process with the rest of the pieces of dough and filling.
Heat 50ml olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium-low heat.
Fry the breads for 3 minutes on each side, lowering/regulating the heat if you see them catching.
Serve warm with other mezze.

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Naan Bread

July 12, 2021June 25, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Although Naan is a flatbread it is also known for its softness and has a bit more “body” to it than other flatbreads. This recipe includes yoghurt and yeast which makes this a pillowy, soft bread with loads of taste and deliciousness! Makes four large breads or 8 “hand-sized” flatbreads.

500g cake flour
5ml salt
250ml milk
5ml sugar
45ml yoghurt
30g butter, melted
15g instant yeast

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Pour the milk into a glass jug and warm it slightly in the microwave oven. It should be tepid.
Add the sugar, yoghurt and melted butter to the milk and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Stir in the yeast and set aside for 5 minutes.
Start the mixer on a slow speed and then add the liquid ingredients. Mix for 2 minutes on slow speed until the dough comes together.
Turn the mixer to medium speed and knead the dough for another 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Lightly oil a large mixing bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel and set aside to proof for an hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to its hottest setting.
Place an empty baking sheet in the oven so that it can heat up.
Knock down the dough and divide it in 4 portions for large breads or 8 equal smaller portions.
Roll the dough into a disc shape with a rolling pin or the traditional tear shape: the important thing is for the dough to be about 5mm thick.
Open the oven door and quickly place 3/4 of the breads onto the preheated baking sheet and immediately close the oven door.
Bake the breads for 3 minutes, open the door and flip them. Cook this side for another 3 minutes. The naan will puff up and look like pita breads but once it cools it will fall back on itself.
Take the cooked breads out of the oven and cover them lightly with a tea towel. Keep going until all the breads are baked.
You may serve the naan as soon as they are cool enough to handle.