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Favorite Cookbooks
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Ultimate Bread
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The publisher Dorling Kindersley Ltd. of London presents books of unsurpassing beauty and distinctive style, be they children’s books on pirates or any one of its line of cookbooks. Ultimate Bread offers some of the most mouth-watering and inspiring photographs (taken by Ian O’Leary) of bread you’ll ever see. With nearly half of the book devoted to illustrated lessons on baking technique and a guide to ingredients and equipment, even a novice breadmaker can feel confident of success with the 100-plus recipes. The authors’ passion for teaching about bread baking is evident in their thorough directions for making bread and in their knowledge of ethnic specialties.
This sampling of recipes adapted from the book focuses on flatbreads from different countries, many of which were originally baked on an open hearth or in an outdoor oven. If you own a baking stone and a bread peel, try shaping a flatbread on the peel and then sliding it onto the preheated baking stone to simulate the direct heat of a brick or stone bake oven. You can also preheat a cookie sheet in the oven or under the broiler for a similar effect.
Some flatbreads, such as Piadina, are baked on top of the stove on a heavy griddle or cast-iron frying pan. Most flatbreads are best eaten the day they are baked. Considering the fragrance that will fill your kitchen on baking day, that shouldn’t be a problem!
If you acquire a copy of the book, you’ll never be able to stop at the flatbreads. Chapters on sourdough breads, enriched breads, quick breads, festive breads, and basic breads from around the world will turn your kitchen into a bakery.
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Recipes:
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Sample Recipes from Ultimate Bread
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Focaccia con Olive (Italian Hearth Bread with Olives)
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| Although not technically a flatbread, focaccia is a close cousin. It gets its name from the Latin word "focus," meaning "hearth," which is where focaccia was traditionally baked. The bread is best eaten warm. |
2 teaspoons dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
3-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup of the water in a small bowl, and let soften for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and pour in the dissolved yeast. Draw in just enough of the flour to make a sponge, cover bowl with a dish towel, and let rest until frothy, about 20 minutes. Add olive oil and wine to the well and mix in the rest of the flour in the bowl. Add remaining water as needed to make a soft, sticky dough.
Knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Work in 3/4 cup olives and 1 tablespoon thyme toward the end of the kneading. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down, reshape dough into a smooth ball, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Roll out dough to form a round about 9-1/2" in diameter. Place on an oiled baking sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Use fingertips to make dimples in the dough about 1/2" deep. Sprinkle surface with oregano and the remaining olives and thyme. Preheat oven to 400°F and bake bread for 30 minutes, until golden brown and hollow sounding. Sprinkle with additional olive oil and cool on a wire rack. Makes 1 round, flat loaf.
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Nan (Punjabi Flat Bread)
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| Traditionally baked by slapping the dough against the side of a hot clay oven called a tandoor, this leavened bread from northern India can also be grilled under the broiler on a hot baking sheet. Serve hot with tandoori chicken or other meat dishes. |
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 cup milk
3-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons ghee or melted unsalted butter
In a small bowl, soften the yeast in 1/2 cup of the milk; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center and add yeast, sugar, yogurt, and ghee or butter. Stir well; add remaining milk as needed to form a stiff, sticky dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Let rise, covered, until doubled. Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a floured surface, roll out each piece to form a round 6" across and about 1/4" thick. Pull one side to form a teardrop shape and stretch dough until about 10" long. Preheat a baking sheet under the broiler for about 2 minutes. Place 2 pieces of dough at a time on the baking sheet and grill for about 2 or 3 minutes on each side, until puffy and golden. Stack the grilled breads and cover with a dry dishtowel to prevent drying out. Serve warm. Makes 4.
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Piadina (Italian Flat Bread)
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| This rustic bread is popular all over Italy, usually served warm. It may be cut into wedges and sprinkled with olive oil and salt, or wrapped around a sandwich filling (in which case it is called a panini). |
2 teaspoons dry yeast
3-1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup carbonated water
In a small bowl, soften the yeast in the water; stir to dissolve. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Make a well and pour in the yeast, oil, and 2/3 cup of the carbonated water. Stir to combine; add the remaining carbonated water as needed to form a firm, moist dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Let rise, covered, until doubled in size. Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 parts. On a floured surface, roll out each piece to form a round 6" in diameter and 1/2" thick. (Let the dough rest for a few minutes if it resists rolling.) Heat a heavy frying pan or griddle over medium-low heat until very hot (about 10 minutes). Place one of the dough rounds in the hot pan and prick all over with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping the bread several times to avoid scorching. Allow about 5 minutes per bread. Stack the finished breads and cover to keep them soft and warm. Makes 8.
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Barbari (Persian Sesame Bread)
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| This light, crusty bread is a breakfast favorite in Iran, served topped with crumbled white cheese and sprinkled with fresh herbs. |
1 teaspoon honey
1-1/4 cups water
2 teaspoons dry yeast
3-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for glaze
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
In a small bowl, stir honey into 2/3 cup of the water and sprinkle with yeast to dissolve. After 5 minutes, stir. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt; make a well in the center and pour in the yeast. With a wooden spoon, draw in enough flour to make a soft sponge; cover and let rise until frothy, about 20 minutes. Pour about half of the remaining water and the olive oil into the well. Mix in the rest of the flour. Stir in the reserved water as needed to form a firm, moist dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic.
Let dough rise, covered, in a oiled bowl, until doubled. Punch down and let rest for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a round 5" in diameter and 1" thick. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Dust 2 baking sheets with flour and preheat in the oven at 425°F until very hot. Using fingertips, make 9 dimples about 3/4" deep in each round. Brush the surface with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Transfer rounds to the hot baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 4.
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