Sasha’s Middle Eastern Flatbreads *

Ingredients
- 21g dried yeast or 30g/1 oz fresh
- 30g/1 oz honey
- 625ml tepid water
- 1kg/just over 2lb strong bread flour
- 30g/1oz salt
- 2 tblsp whole coriander seeds
- 2 tblsp whole cumin seeds
- extra flour for dusting
For topping
- olive oil
- unspecified amount of za’atar **
Method
- Dissolve the yeast and honey in half the tepid water. Leave it for a few minutes - it should bubble up slightly
- Dry fry the cumin and coriander till the aromas are released – a few minutes. You don’t want them to burn
- Crack the cumin and coriander a little in a pestle and mortar
- Put the flour in a large bowl, add the salt and the toasted cracked cumin and coriander seeds
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and seed mixture, and pour in the dissolved yeast mixture
- Incorporate the flour and yeast mixture with circular movements with your fingers. Add the rest of the tepid water, till the dough is slightly moist, but hangs together
- Different flours are different, so don’t worry if you have to add a little more flour/water
- Knead for five minutes or so. This is both relaxing and good for the dough. Fold it into one final roundish shape, ready for proving
- Leave the dough to prove – there are two options. One is to put it on a baking tray or bread board and leave it (covered in a clean tea towel). The other is to lightly oil your mixing bowl (don’t worry if it’s a little floury) and put the dough back in there, covered in a tea towel
- Leave the dough for 40 minutes or so in a warm place – it should double in size
- This is an ideal time to prepare the other parts of your meal (as if you needed me to tell you that)
- Knock the air out of the dough with your hands, and then divide up into…. A lot of pieces. I usually make 30 or so, but it depends
- Roll each piece into a ½ cm thick piece, use a pasty brush to brush with a little olive oil, and sprinkle some za’atar on top
- Cook a batch at a time, directly on the bars of your preheated oven at 230C/450F – they take about 5 or 6 minutes. They also make your oven completely covered in flour
- Fabulous served warm from the oven with good quality olive oil, humous, or roasted red pepper dip
* this recipe is based in a Jamie Oliver recipe, although it is now neither Moroccan or with chick peas
** Za’atar is a sumac-based middle eastern herb mixture that you can buy from Seasoned Pioneers, or a in a Lebanese shop, if you live in Kilburn. Don’t just buy sumac, it’s the blend that makes the difference