Homemade Garlic Flatbread
- PREP 1hrs 20min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 1hrs 40min
Use this homemade flatbread for folded sandwiches, dipping into soups, or cut them into wedges and serve next to your favorite dips. They are soft and fluffy in the middle, giving just enough to fold them slightly. You won’t be able to make closed wraps with these — think of them more like what surrounds a gyro or similar to the texture of naan bread.
You Will Need
Garlic Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
Flatbread
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
3/4 cup warm water
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Neutral flavored oil for lightly coating skillet such as grape seed or canola
Directions
Infuse Oil
Add garlic, sesame seeds, and olive oil to a cold skillet. Place the skillet over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until aromatic, but before the garlic browns. Set aside.
Make Dough
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir a few times, then let it sit for 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup of the flour and the infused garlic-olive oil mixture to the bowl with yeast. Stir 3 to 4 times until the flour has moistened. Let sit for another 5 minutes.
Stir in the remaining cup of flour and the salt. Once the dough comes together, transfer it to a floured board and knead the dough 10 to 15 times until smooth, adding more flour if the dough seems unreasonably sticky.
Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover with a warm, damp towel, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
To Finish
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 6 equally sized pieces for large flatbreads or 8 pieces for smaller flatbreads.
Shape it into balls, cover it with a damp dishtowel, and let the dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or grill pan over medium heat (see note below).
Use your fingertips to press each dough ball into a flat disc about 1/8 inch thick.
Lightly oil the skillet, then carefully lay down the flatbread and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until it’s starting to brown. Flip, then continue to cook until cooked all the way through. If the pan is too hot or smoking, turn the heat down slightly. Continue with the remaining flatbreads.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Bake the flatbreads: Bake in a 425 °F oven until puffed and cooked through, about 10 minutes. (Baking allows you to cook multiple flatbreads simultaneously, but the bread won’t be as soft as a skillet.)
- Storing: Allow flatbreads to cool completely, then store covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or freeze for a month or two. When ready to eat, rewarm in a hot pan or the oven.
- Add herbs: We’ve also made these flatbreads with herbs added to the dough. Add chopped fresh or dried herbs to the olive oil and garlic mixture — I’d use 1 tablespoon of fresh or 1 teaspoon of dried.
- Make ahead: Instead of proofing the dough at room temperature, which takes 1 hour, you can do so in the refrigerator. Add the dough to a lightly oiled food-safe bag, seal it, and store it in the fridge for 24 to 36 hours. When you are ready to cook the flatbreads, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. Shape into small balls and continue with the recipe above.
- Vegan recommendations: Use sugar instead of honey.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We assumed 8 flatbreads per recipe.