Lakes Region Foodie — Flat Bread from the Outdoor Grill

During the past four decades my career in hospitality has been equally divided between luxury hotels, fine museums and colleges. During this time I had the great fortune to be exposed to the many great cruises of the world. As a result, I learned a lot about various types of flat breads. This particular flat bread is a cross between a Mediterranean lavash and an Indian naan bread. The base recipe is lavash, but the yogurt and part whole wheat flour are from naan bread.

With a total cooking time of just two minutes, this recipe is fast and easy. Besides adding flavor, the acidity of the yogurts increases the bread's shelf life.

Here are a few important tips:

When making bread dough, wait to add the salt until after you have added the flour so it does not have direct contract with the yeast. Direct contact with the yeast could weaken its strength.

To test if the dough is elastic, pull it with your fingers to see if it stretches. This is an indication that the gluten has been developed enough to trap the yeast as the dough rises and the dough will not tear when you roll it.

When proofing yeast doughs, place them in a warm spot, preferably about 75˚F, and keep the bowl covered to maintain humidity and prevent the dough from forming a crust on top.

Always deflate the dough gently. When the dough proofs it relaxes, making it easy to roll or shape. If you are rough with the dough it will become over-elastic and difficult to handle.

The 10-15 minute period of resting after shaping the dough balls is a common practice in bakeries. After dividing and shaping the dough into balls, it becomes elastic and tough, this resting period relaxes the dough which makes it much easier to roll.

When rolling dough, always use plenty of flour so it doesn’t stick to the counter or rolling pin, you can always brush the extra flour off when you are done rolling. Place the rolling pin in the center of the dough and roll from the top to bottom without lifting the dough. The notion of only rolling in one direction is poor advice, since when you do that you tend to drop the rolling pin on the dough which toughens it.

Only cook one bread at a time to maintain temperature; don't let the temperature drop below 300˚F.

Stacking the breads after cooking keeps them from drying out.

Yield: 8 breads

1¼ cups warm water

1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

3/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

Warm the water to 110˚F and add to a large bowl. Stir yeast into the water and let sit for 10-15 minutes or until the yeast floats to the top and forms a raft.

Stir the yogurt and oil into the yeast mixture until evenly blended. Add the flours and then the salt on top of the flour.

Knead until a smooth round and elastic dough forms. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a spot without drafts until doubled in volume, about 45-60 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gently deflate. Roll it into a long and divide into eight equal portions. With your hands, shape each into round pads and space about 1 inch apart on a flour dusted cookie pan or counter. Cover with a towel and let rest for about 10-15 minutes, until slightly puffy.

After the dough balls have rested, dust a counter with flour, place a ball in the center and dust top with flour. Roll into about a 9 inch circle, keep the dough covered with flour as you roll. Once it's 9 inches, leave it covered with flour and place on a flour dusted cookie sheet. Continue rolling the remaining dough balls. You can stack them as long as they are dusted with flour so they don’t stick to each other. Cover with a towel and set aside while you prepare the grill for cooking.

Preheat a clean grill to 500˚F. Place a 10 inch-wide plate by the grill and a place for the cookie sheet of rolled doughs and long handle tongs.

Only cook one bread at a time. Once the grill has reached temperature, use both hands, place at the top of a rolled dough to lift the dough and place on the center of the hot grill. Immediately close the grill cover and wait 1 1/2 seconds. Open the grill and notice the bread has various large bubbles or even has puffed like a pillow. Using the tongs turn the bread over to cook the other side. Close the lid and wait another 1/2 second. Use the tongs to lift the bread from the grill and place on the 10 inch round plate.

Continue grilling the other breads and stack them on the plate so they don’t dry out. Once cooked, place the stacked breads on a rack and cover with a towel to cool.

Once completely cooked, store in an airtight container or a zip lock bag. The breads will keep for several days if stored in a cool, dark spot or refrigerated.