Here is an exceptional flatbread thanks to Bon Appetit. There is no yeast here: just salt, flour and butter. The “flaky” concept comes from the softness of the bread in your mouth. The butter flavor is there along with the carbon aromas creating from skillet cooking. The effect is dramatic, particularly given the bare simple beginnings of this bread.
Suzen served this bread with a creamy salmon spread. The bread would be the ideal vehicle for a bevy of spreads at your next cocktail party.
From start to finish, this bread takes about 5 hours including rising time, so planning ahead is necessary. But the aromas, the tastes will make it all worthwhile.
The recipe below calls for sea salt to adorn the top of the bread. Here is your chance to go freelance using the salt of your choice. Suzen and I live in Manhattan where we have The Meadow as a source of dozens of salts that could be used. The Meadow began in Portland, Oregon and you can go online to see their selection. Or, go to your local gourmet store to find something smoky and fun.
Flaky Bread
Yield: 10 rounds, enough for 5+ people
Ingredients:
- 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the surface while rolling out
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melt, plus more at room temperature for brushing [about 10]
- Flakey sea salt [such as Maldon]
- Olive oil for the parchment
Preparation:
Whisk kosher salt and 3 cups flour in a large bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter; mix well. Gradually mix in ¾ cup water. Kneed on a lightly floured surface until the dough is shiny and very soft, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic; let rest in a warm spot at least 4 hours.
Divide the dough into 10 pieces and, using your palm, roll into balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 15 minutes.
Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out the balls on an unfloured surface with a rolling pin into very thin rounds or ovals about 9” across. [If the dough bounces back, cover with plastic and let rest a few minutes.]
Brush the tops of the rounds with room-temperature butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Roll up each round onto itself to create a long thin rope, then wind each rope around itself to create a tight coil. Working with 1 coil at a time, rollout on an unfloured surface to 10” rounds to more than ⅛” thick. Stack as you go, separating each round with a sheet of parchment paper brushed with oil.
Heat a large cast iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Working 1 at a time, brush both sides of a dough round with room-temperature butter and cook until lightly blistered and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and sprinkle with seat salt.
The coils can be rolled out up to 1 month ahead; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. Cook frozen [adding 1-2minutes to the cooking time].
Source: Bon Appetit