Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - [Homestead] Flatbreads, using whatever grain is at hand

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] Flatbreads, using whatever grain is at hand
  • Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2004 19:32:54 -0800

Yeah, yeast-raised breads have their place (Russian Black Bread at the very top), but the K.I.S.S. principle is best exhibited in making flatbreads, by whatever name they are called locally---chipatis, tortillas, tandooris, bannocks. Find for rolling inside whatever good-tasting ingredients you have on the kitchen shelf or in the refrigerator. How about some refried beans, chopped onions, chopped pork sausage, and some finely cut lettuce.

Indian Flat Bread (Chapatis)

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

* 4 cups wholewheat flour
* 2 teaspoon salt
* oil (I use canola)
* 1 cup water ( or a bit more)

Directions:

Boil water. Mix everything together and knead for at least 10 mins. (I put it in the mixer and come back later) It should have enough water in it to form a ball.

Let sit 2 - 6 hours. The longer it sits, the more air bubbles will be in the vegan bread.

Divide dough into balls the size of walnuts. Flour a surface then roll out the balls as thin as possible.

Heat (but don't grease) a heavy based frying pan (an electric one works well) and fry the rounds for about 1 - 1.5 mins on each side.

Note: This dough can also be used to fill with vegetables and deep fried.


http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00144.asp
(tandoori-style baking of flatbread containing yeast---buy a big Mexican quarry tile and put it on your oven rack---bake the rolled-out flatbread dough on it---heat the quarry tile for twenty minutes after oven gets to temperature.)

A true tandoori oven is clay, a fire built inside, and after the fuel becomes charcoal, slap the rolled-out dough on the side of the clay oven to bake slightly---oven walls will get from 600 to 800 F. degrees temperature)


http://gourmetclub.signonsandiego.com/20020419-9999-recipe3.html
(making chapati's---use durum flour)

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/family/feature/famf1100indian/famf1100indian3.html
(short, clear ddscription of how to make chapati's---again, use durum wheat flour)

http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/archives/sameboat94.html
(another flatbread recipe, including even simpler bannock bread)

For corn tortillas, make your own masa harina with limewater, or buy it ready-made from a Mexican grocery.

Corn Tortillas: To make tortillas, you will need patience and a little bit of time, but many agree that it's well worth it. Pre-made tortillas just don't compare. The easiest way is to use a tortilla press (under $20), but they can also be cooked on a cast-iron skillet.

The traditional dough used to make corn TORTILLAS has been made with sun- or fire-dried corn kernels that have been cooked in limewater (water mixed with calcium oxide). After having been cooked, then soaked in the limewater overnight, the wet corn is ground into 'masa'. You will use Masa harina (literally "dough flour") which can be found in most grocery stores.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups masa harina (don't confuse with corn meal, which is made differently)
1 1/8 cups water
Mix hot water and flour. On clean surface, knead dough until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Pinch off a golf-ball sized piece of masa and roll it into a ball. Flatten and roll each ball into a flat round disk (you may wish to roll out under plastic). Cook on a very hot cast iron skillet, no oil is necessary. Flip when bottom side is golden, the top should be bubbling slightly when ready. Use a spatula to lift the edge and check for doneness before flipping completely. Keep the cooked tortillas warm by covering with a damp towel while you continue to cook. As you finish each tortila place on plate and cover. Repeat process until you have an adequate amount for serving.

http://recipeview.com/Bread/Bread.htm
(fantastically long list of many kinds of bread, including easy-to-make flatbreads and not-so-easy but delicious Russian Black Bread---but you WILL have to grind your own wheat, rye and barley grains in a Corono steel-burr hand mill (run through twice with a not-too-tight setting for the best textured, fairly high moisture and flavorful bread) My memory is fuzzy, it's been a long time since I baked bread on my hermaphrodite-rigged schooner, but I think the grain mix was two cups of wheat grain, one of barley and one of rye.)

http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/804
(this has nothing to do with flatbreads, but resembles Haitian diri avec pois rouge---might be an interesting variant on a Haitian staple)







Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page