Middle Eastern Flatbread Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN FLATBREAD SERVED IN A TRAY AND TOPPED WITH ARUGULA, TOMATOES, SMOKED SALMON AND MORE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Prepare a large sheet pan and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle the bottom of pan with cornmeal, about 2-3 tbsp.
• Lightly flour a clean work surface. Place pizza dough on top and roll and stretch dough to a 12 x 8 rectangle or oval. Transfer stretched dough to prepared sheet pan.
• Lightly brush top of dough with extra virgin olive oil and season with oregano and za'atar spice. Bake in heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until dough is golden and slightly crisp on bottom. Remove from heat.
• In a bowl, combine arugula and tomato. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and a dash of Za'atar spice. Mix to combine. Set aside for a moment.
• Spread a thin layer of hummus evenly over the pizza crust. Top with the arugula and tomato mixture. Now arrange the remaining ingredients on top evenly. Sprinkle a little more za'atar spice and dried oregano all over.
• To serve as an appetizer, slice pizza into small rectangles. You'll get 15 or more pieces. Enjoy!

LAVASH MIDDLE EASTERN BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a measuring cup, combine yeast, water, and sugar. Mix until yeast is dissolved. Set aside.
• Coat a large bowl with oil. Set aside while the yeast begins to bubble and show activity, 6 to 10 minutes.
• In another large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
• Add yeast-water-sugar mixture and form a dough.
• Knead dough for 10 to 15 minutes by hand or 5 to 8 minutes using a dough hook on medium speed in a stand mixer, until the dough is smooth and shiny.
• Once the dough is kneaded, place the ball of dough in the oiled bowl. Roll the dough around the bowl to coat it with oil.
• Cover and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
• Once the dough has doubled, punch it down to release air.
• Continue to knead for about 5 minutes.
• With lightly floured hands, roll the dough into 8 equal sized balls of dough and transfer to a lightly floured bowl or plate. Lightly flour the tops of the balls as well.
• Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Position two racks in the top and center parts of the oven and heat to 475 F.
• Once the balls of dough have risen, roll them out on a lightly floured work surface into thin rectangles, about 9 x 7 inches. They should be as thin as pizza dough.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment and transfer as many rectangles as will fit in one layer (you might only be able to fit 2 at a time). Puncture the entire surface of the rectangles with the tines of a fork.
• Brush dough with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds and poppy seeds, if desired.
• Start with the baking sheet in the center of the oven for 4 minutes, then move it to the top rack for 3 or 4 minutes until starting to brown and puff in places. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Eat while still warm or when cool. Enjoy.

GRILLED LEBANESE FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the salt, sugar, yeast and 1 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit until it begins to froth, about 5 minutes, then add the flour and mix until well combined. (If the dough is very dry, add more warm water a tablespoon at a time to moisten it.) Cover and let rise somewhere warm for about an hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high and the rack about 4 inches from the fire. When the dough has puffed up, transfer it to a well-floured surface and knead until soft and silky, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Cut the dough into 8 equally sized pieces and roll each one out until it's about 6 inches in diameter; don't worry about making these perfectly round, but try to keep them relatively even in thickness. Brush one side of the breads with olive oil and put as many on the grill, oiled side down, as will comfortably fit at one time. While the first side cooks, brush the side facing you with more oil; when the breads begin to brown and puff up, flip them. When the second side is nicely browned, remove from the grill and sprinkle with the za'atar, if you'd like. Serve immediately.

MANAAEESH FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Mix yeast with warm water in a large mixing bowl and allow to stand until a creamy layer of foam appears, about 10 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil, then gradually stir in flour and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
• Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth and just a little bit sticky, 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough into an oiled bowl and turn dough around in bowl to coat surface with oil; cover bowl and refrigerate dough overnight. (Dough should double in size.)
• Coat a 9x13-inch baking sheet generously with 2 tablespoons olive oil; place dough in the center of the baking sheet and flatten into a thick disk. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Use your palms and fingers to gently press and stretch dough to the edges of the oiled baking sheet, making the flatbread as even in thickness as you can. With fingertips, make small indentations in the dough. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Stir za'atar and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt together in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the flatbread. Let dough rest for 30 minutes uncovered.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake flatbread in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

SYRIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle; press Start.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds with a damp cloth and let rest.
• Roll dough into thin flat circles, about 8 inches in diameter. Cook two at a time on preheated baking sheets or a baking stone until puffed up and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Repeat for remaining loaves.

MIDDLE EASTERN CHICKEN FLATBREADS

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Combine 2 1/4 cups lukewarm water and the oil in a second large bowl. Add the water mixture to the flour mixture, and combine them with your hands until the dough comes together into a rough and shaggy ball.
• Knead the dough on a flour-dusted work surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Clean 1 of the large bowls, and lightly coat it with oil. Place the kneaded dough in the bowl, brush it with oil, cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Position an oven rack in the bottom position of the oven, and put a pizza stone or baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Transfer the dough to the work surface, and punch it down. Cut it into 12 even pieces. Shape each into a ball. Evenly space the dough balls on the work surface, cover and let rest for 20 minutes. (To make ahead, after shaping the dough into balls, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.)
• Working with a few balls at a time, roll each out into a thin round (about 1/8 inch thick), flouring the work surface and rolling pin as needed. Sprinkle a pizza peel or wooden cutting board with semolina or cornmeal, and put 1 or 2 pieces of rolled dough on top. Shake the peel back and forth to make sure the dough rounds are not sticking, then slide them onto the hot pizza stone and bake until they puff up and are just golden on the bottom but still soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. Remove the dough with tongs, press any bubbles down and let cool. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. (The parbaked flatbreads can be topped and baked at this point or cooled, stacked, wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)
• For the topping: While the flatbreads bake, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, and stir for 1 minute (add a splash of water if the mixture sticks). Add the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, the chicken, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and allspice, and continue cooking, breaking up the meat, until cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the yogurt, lemon juice and parsley . Let cool completely. (The topping can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.)
• For the sauce: Whisk together the yogurt, 3 tablespoons water and a large pinch of salt in a small bowl.
• To assemble, bake and serve: Brush each parbaked flatbread generously with oil, and top with about 1/4 cup of the topping. Bake them, 1 or 2 at a time, on the hot pizza stone until the bottoms are golden and crispy, about 5 minutes, rotating the flatbreads 180 degrees halfway through so they cook evenly. Drizzle the flatbreads with yogurt sauce, sprinkle with salt and parsley, cut into slices and serve.
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