February 15, 2021

Just Flour and Water Flatbreads (Oh, and Salt…)

These super simple, flour and water flatbreads don’t need an oven, any raising agents, or even a rolling pin. They’re soft, with a little chew to them- almost as if a tortilla and a naan had a little bread baby. They are the perfect blank canvas for spreads and jams, curries, as a pizza base- anything you could use a little carbs to make a meal. I’ve debated for a while if these are three ingredient flatbreads, or one. Salt and water are often not considered an ingredient, since they are so common place that they are often not included in an ingredient count- so these are 1-3 ingredient flatbreads. Are these the best breads you’re ever going to have? No. But they’re sure simple, and really pretty darn good to dip and spread, slather and munch!

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Minimalist Cooking

I love meals focused around the little tidbits I have around the house- different pickles, carrot sticks, kimchi, hummus, pesto, vegan cheese, salad greens, hot sauces- whatever little delightful bites I have around. A meal like that does need a base though- a carb, really. I often use bread, crackers, or rice, but when I don’t have anything on hand I like to have a quick option to make a carby staple for my meal. I made this recipe when I was making one of my favorite bites and pieces meals, while staying in a little cabin. I didn’t have my usual pantry with me, so my ingredients were limited – no yeast or baking soda, just a bag of all-purpose flour. There was no oven, no rolling pin, not much in the way of measuring cups. So I brought it back to the basics- after all, we had avocados, pickled onions, vegan cream cheese, carrot lox, and kumquat marmalade- the bread doesn’t need to be too fancy. And this simple warm bread with our homemade spreads was delicious- a good reminder that the simple things are sometimes perfect.

Looking to Eat Something with your Flatbreads? Try one of these!

Making Just Flour and Water Flatbreads

These flatbreads are so minimal- all you need is flour, water, salt, a heat source, a skillet, and a cup that’s roughly 1/2 cup in volume. A bowl helps, but honestly you could do this without it. The flour to water ratio is 3:1- so we used 1 1/2 cups of flour and half a cup of water, but you could use any little bowl or cup you have. Just do three of flour, and one of flour. To that add a generous pinch of salt. Kneed it all together, until fairly smooth and not so lumpy and uneven feeling- if you’re having trouble bringing the dough together, add a small splash of water. If the dough is really wet, you can add a little more flour. After that, let your dough rest. Cover it with a cloth or a plate to stop it from drying out. After it’s rested, the dough will be softer and easier to work with. At this point get a skillet piping hot- you can do it on the stove, or as you see in one of my pictures I actually did it on top of a wood burning stove. Divide the dough into pieces, and stretch and flatten them into thin, rustic looking shapes. If you’re skillet is good and hot, they only take about 30 seconds to cook on each side. And that’s it- including letting the dough rest, this whole process only takes about 45 minutes.