Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Flatbread Recipe

I love this flatbread recipe from River Cottage Everyday, it's just so easy! At the moment I'm on a serious economy drive - like every January! I've decided not to buy any bread - firstly, because I'm not too keen on shop bought bread, and secondly, we eat so much bread in this house, I figure it's a lot cheaper to make it. But when time has run out these flatbreads are amazing. They take hardly anytime to make and lunch is so much nicer with these fresh and warm flatbreads - better than the usual rubbish you'd buy from the supermarket.

This is a great recipe too if you are trying to avoid excess yeast. You certainly won't feel like you are missing our with this yeast-free flatbread. 

Flatbread Recipe

PREP TIME	RESTING TIME
15 mins	15 mins

Makes 8

Ingredients:
250g (9oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon rapeseed or olive oil
150ml (5.3floz) warm water

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt. Add the oil and water and form into a dough with your hands..

2. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Cover the ball with an upturned mixing bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.

3. When you are ready to cook and eat the flatbreads, roll the dough into a sausage shape and divide into 8 balls. Flour the work surface and roll out the dough to around 2-3mm thick, using plenty of flour. I find that the dough needs to rest once rolled out for at least 3-5 minutes.

4. Place a heavy-based, non-stick frying pan - or a cast iron griddle - over a high heat and when it's good and hot, turn the heat down a bit. Have a plate lined with a clean tea towel so you can put your cooked flatbreads on it to keep them warm and soft.

5. Shake off any excess flour and carefully lay a flatbread in the hot pan. Let it sit for a minute or two, until the dough looks 'set' on top and has started to lift away from the pan. Flip over and cook for another 30-45 seconds.

6. Wrap the cooked flatbreads in the tea towel to keep warm while the rest are cooking.

7. Serve the flatbreads while they are still soft and warm. Once cold, they won't be quite the same. But they can be recycled by tearing them into pieces, brushing with a little oil, then crisping them up in a hot oven to make dipping chips, or flat croutons for soups or salads.

Recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall