Whole Wheat Flatbread

The other day I was out of bread and tortillas and needed to come up with something fast, as lunchtime was not far off and I had 4 hungry kids who were expecting a meal.  I decided to try my hand at flatbread and I was thrilled with the ease and speed at which these could be prepared, not to mention how great they taste great, too!

Ingredients:

3 c. whole wheat flour (I used freshly milled hard red wheat)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 T olive oil
1 c. hot water (add more if your dough is dry)

If you have a stand mixer, these things are incredibly quick to mix up.  Place all your dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and give it a quick whirl to combine the ingredients.  Next, add the olive oil and hot water and mix it on low until a smooth dough forms.

Once you have a nice dough, divide it into 12 pieces (fewer if you want larger flatbread). Shape the pieces into balls and set them on a lightly floured surface. Cover them with plastic wrap so they don't dry out before you can get to them.

Working one at a time, place a dough ball onto a lightly floured surface or a pastry mat (I got mine through Amazon).  Flatten the ball with your hand, and then proceed to roll out to whatever size and thickness you want. I rolled mine out to tortilla thickness.  Keep in mind, this recipe has baking powder in it, which will allow the dough to rise a bit when it is cooked.

You'll be cooking these on a skillet, so make sure you have a skillet or griddle set to medium or medium-low heat and that it is nice and warm before you put your first flatbread on it.  Cook the flatbread for about 20-30 seconds per side. You want it to get slightly browned, but not too dark.

This recipe makes about a dozen flatbread rounds. Store in a plastic Ziploc-type bag to retain freshness. They will stay nice and soft for at least a week if stored this way. Serve with your favorite sandwich fillings--peanut butter, egg salad, chicken salad, or even as a breakfast dish, filling it with scrambled eggs and cheese, etc.   Note: to make tortillas, follow this same recipe, but omit the baking powder.