Brown Rice, Potato & Chickpea Flatbread
Back in the day, I used to love going to Olga’s for lunch — I went with my mom, my friends, my co-workers, sometimes even just with myself. My favorite thing on the menu was the original lamb Olga wrapped in Olga bread. Does anyone else remember tearing into that doughy, soft bread?
Nowadays I’m more in favor of hearty, thick breads, but I’m still enchanted by a bread that’s round and flat. I won’t say that this flatbread is an exact copy of the classic Olga one, but it certainly reminded me of it … just in a more potato-y, chickpea-y kind of way. (That’s the thing about using whole-grain flours — they have lots of flavor and refuse to fade into the background.)
If you’re in the mood for a different kind of savory bread to serve with everything from soups to salads to main courses, give this one a try. You could also mix and match your flour types and proportions to create different flavor profiles. I incorporated potato flour into this batch, for example, because I was going to serve it with a goat cheese and leek tart. Nothing goes with leeks like potatoes, especially with a little bit of sea salt and sautéeing action!
Multigrain Flatbread (which just happens to be gluten-free)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour
[Note: for a sweeter dough, use 1 cup brown rice flour and 1 cup corn flour]
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. yeast (1/2 of one of the standard packets that comes in a strip)
3/4 cup hot tap water
More flour for dusting
Whisk together the flours, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Get tap water fairly hot to the touch before measuring out the 3/4 cup. Quickly pour into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. (You need the water to be warm enough to activate the yeast.)
Have the dusting flour ready (use either brown rice, potato, chickpea or corn depending on your base dough). Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of flour onto countertop, shape the dough into a ball while still in the bowl, then turn out dough and knead for 5 minutes, sprinkling more dusting flour onto the countertop and your fingers whenever the dough gets too sticky to handle.
Place kneaded dough into clean bowl, cover with damp kitchen towel, and let sit for 30 minutes before dividing into 8 small balls. Smash down each ball and push it into a circle. (You might need more dusting flour.)
Put a pat of butter into a nonstick pan and melt it over medium heat. Fry each round separately, adding more butter for each one and flipping each one to ensure that both sides are flecked with golden brownness.
If burnt butter accumulates in the pan, either use a new one or quickly wipe out the current one with a dishcloth or thick paper towel. The cooked rounds should either be laid out on racks to dry or stacked with paper towels or kitchen towels between them to absorb excess moisture.
The rounds are best served piping-hot with a sprinkling of sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil, but they’ll keep for several days in a well-sealed container, either in a cool cupboard or the refrigerator. Just be sure that the rounds are completely cool before storing them — otherwise, they’ll give off condensation and will turn moldy.
Enjoy!
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Tags: brown rice, chickpea, flatbread, gluten-free, potato
