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)
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.)