Modern Baker Challenge — Turkish Flatbread

July 25, 2010 at 11:45 am (Bread Baking, Breads, Flatbreads, Modern Baker Challenge, Techniques)
Tags: dimpled dough, Flatbread, food processor, Modern Baker, Modern Baker Challenge, Nick Malgieri, proofing dough, Turkish flatbread, yeast

The second recipe in the Breads section of The Modern Baker is Turkish flatbread, another fairly simple bread with a short list of ingredients — AP flour, salt, yeast, water, and olive oil. One of the interesting things about most of the flatbreads in this section of the book is that they all have more or less the same ingredients. Only the proportions and techniques change from recipe to recipe.

As with the Armenian Barbary Bread, I halved the recipe so that I would end up with just one loaf of this bread. The dough is mixed very briefly in the food processor, then placed in an oiled bowl and allowed to rest for a 20-minute autolyse.

NM says to turn the dough out onto a floured board and give it several stretch and folds. I left it in the bowl and folded it over itself about 20 times with a bench scraper.

After fermenting for an hour, the dough is turned out and shaped. I floured the bottom of my 9-inch springform pan and stretched and pressed the dough to cover it.

In retrospect, I should either have floured the form better or (preferably) sprayed it with oil. I was able to get the dough off the form, but it stuck a bit and had to be reshaped on the pan.

Once the dough was on the pan, I dusted it lightly with flour and dimpled the top of the bread with my fingertips.

After a brief 20 minute rest, the dough was baked at 450° F for about 20 minutes, until it was puffy and golden brown.

We ate this bread with hummus, baba ganoush, and tabouli. It was light and delicious. Definitely one to make again.