Flatbreads

Last week, I wrote about one of the world’s iconic vertical ovens – the Tandoori – and its impact on modern world cuisine. This week I want to do the same with one of the iconic food staples prepared in these ovens: Bread. More specifically, flatbreads.

The origins of flatbreads are ancient and reflective of the various agricultural practices of the world.

These ancient breads fit very well into the context of subsistence economies:

They can be made with all kinds of cereals other than just wheat, which means that the local products from marginal lands can be utilised sustainably (such as pseudo-cereals and legumes, for example).

They do not necessarily require an oven to be baked (thus no substantive resources need to be invested).

They can and are used as plates and eating utensils such as a spoon or fork.

They can be dehydrated (normally by means of a second baking process) which prevents mould and extends its shelf life.

They can be transported with almost no effort or inconvenience.

Flatbreads reflect the agricultural practices they originated in. Making flatbreads is quite easy. The basic ingredients are water, flour and salt. Sometimes fat such as oil or lard is added. Yeast may or may not be used, and leavening (proofing) may or may not be required.

Some breads consist of doughs so wet they resemble pancake batter. Such breads are shaped by pouring the batter onto a griddle or into a pan. Those with stiffer dough can be rolled into shape.

The final step is baking the dough. Ovens may or may not be used and some flatbreads are baked in warm ash or over hot stones.

One source classifies the types of flatbread according to four variables: 1) The consistency of the dough, 2) The presence or absence of a leavening phase, 3) The baking system used, and 4) The thickness and structure of the finished product. Based on these criteria, four broad types of flatbread are distinguished:

Pancake-like breads obtained from batters: These breads are made using the preparation of a batter that is commonly the result of prolonged fermentation. The flours used are mostly low-gluten cereals such as teff, sorghum, rice, maize and beans. Ethiopian injera and Indian dosa are examples.

Flat breads with consistent dough, unleavened: These breads are tough, so to make them easier to chew, the dough is rolled out very, very thin. For example: The lavash bread of Armenia, Iran and Turkey, and the chapati of India and Pakistan.

Flat breads with consistent dough, leavened, shaped as a thick sheet and eventually punched (single layered): Flat breads that are leavened are softer and easier to chew. As a result, they can be thicker than the unleavened varieties. Some of these breads are punched with a bread press for decorative purposes and to identify and distinguish the baker. The matlouh bread of North Africa and the pide bread of Turkey are examples. Single-layered flatbreads such as these discussed thus far are distinguished from double-layered bread. In the case of the latter, the dough disk is allowed to puff-up during baking which causes the upper and lower surfaces to ‘separate’, forming two separate layers.

Flat breads with consistent dough, leavened, and shaped as a thin sheet (double layered): Dough that is sheeted to a few millimetres but not punched will puff up when baked in an oven. This is due to the expansion of gases inside the dough: Either carbon dioxide caused by fermentation or due to humidity in the dough, causing steam to form when the bread is baked. Good quality gluten is required, thus double layered flatbreads are usually made from wheat flour. When the bread cools down, it deflates and forms a “pocket” that could be stuffed with meat or vegetables. Pita bread is a well-known variety of this kind of bread. These breads are always baked in a horizontal, domed-shape oven.

Due to their reduced thickness and mass, flatbreads cook quickly and have no crust like normal bread. They are mostly pale in colour.

The simplest way of cooking flatbreads is under a layer of warm sand, embers and ash. This so-called ‘ash-baked bread’ (locally known as ‘askoek’) requires no cooking utensils or oven and was popular among nomad communities. Some flatbreads were cooked on red-hot rocks to keep the bread separate from the soil.

The oven for baking flatbreads could be either vertical (like the tandoori) or horizontal. Flatbreads baked in a vertical oven are slapped against the sides of the oven at the same time as meats are cooked on skewers. It is no accident that so many flatbreads are stuffed with grilled meat.

Gluten-free bread requires some kind of container – griddles or baking plates set directly over the fire or coals – as they are commonly made from batter-like doughs. Traditional clay griddles have since been replaced by iron ones. One such commonly known griddle is the tawa used in northern India and Pakistan to cook roti and chapati.

In the context of the subsistence economy, flatbreads are the result of rational and effective solutions to the problem of how to transform cereals and non-cereals into digestible and tasty foods. They have survived because of their versatility.

Lebanese Mountain Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup bread flour

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

• 1 teaspoon white sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra

coat to cover the bowl

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