Sourdough Flatbread

Flatbread originated in ancient Egypt, but many cultures have their own versions. From India and Afghanistan to South and Central America, and across Europe, almost every country has its own version of flatbread.

Flatbread can be prepared in so many ways, and today I bring you a delicious twist with the help of a sourdough starter.

Making this bread could not be easier. You only need six simple ingredients, one bowl, and a pan. You can use a fresh sourdough starter or use a sourdough discard.

I think using sourdough discard is an effective way to turn it into something amazing, without throwing it out!

What Is Sourdough?

I have made a few recipes using sourdough starters, but if you’ve ever wondered what else you can do with sourdough discard, let me explain.

Because I hate throwing things out and wasting food, I always follow the rule of using the maximum of things I have. That is the rule I apply here, and the reason why I always turn my sourdough discard into something delicious.

Sourdough discard adds a ton of incredible flavor to baked goods. The lactic bacteria found in sourdough discard adds flavor and tenderizes wheat proteins, just as fresh sourdough starter does.

What If I Don’t Have A Sourdough Starter?

The great news is that you can still make flatbread. If you do not have sourdough starter or sourdough discard, you can make polish. A polish is a simple one-to-one mixture of flour and milk, plus some instant yeast.

To replicate the sourdough flavor, allow the polish to ripen at room temperature for at least 12 hours before continuing with the sourdough flatbread recipe. It will not be the same as with sourdough, but this is the next best thing.

How To Improve Sourdough Flatbread

This sourdough is a perfect addition to your table, whether you serve it with soups, stews, or meat-based dishes, but if you are looking to go a step further, here are some things you can add:

• Garlic; add finely chopped garlic to the olive oil that you will use to brush your skillet in which the bread will be cooked. The garlic will infuse olive oil and give a subtle flavor to the sourdough. 

• Roasted garlic; you can add some roasted garlic into the dough. Just make sure to turn the garlic into paste before adding it to the dough.

• Onions and herbs; for this, you can use granulated onion and desired herbs. Do not add more than 1 tsp of these.

Some Tips To Follow

• When brushing a skillet, make sure you use silicone brushes. They are heat-resistant and dishwasher-safe, and besides, they bring a perfect amount of oil into the skillet.

• Cook the flatbread on high heat; make sure your skillet is very hot and wait a minute or two in between flatbreads for a pan to reheat.

• Shape your flatbreads close to a circle, but if you do not get them in perfect shape do not worry. The irregular shape adds to the flatbread’s rustic charm.

• If you do not feel like cooking the flatbread immediately, you can cover the dough balls and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.

• If you find the dough is a bit sticky when you roll it out, just dust it with flour or dust the rolling pin and it will work to prevent sticking. 

How To Make Sourdough Flatbread

Preparation time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Servings: 8 

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cup bread flour
• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp salt

Instructions:

Mix the dough; in a large bowl, combine the starter with milk and olive oil.

Fold in flour and salt.

Once the dough comes together, transfer it to the floured kitchen surface and knead it until smooth.

Cover the dough and let it rise until it has doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 balls.

Roll each ball with a rolling pin to ¼-inch thick. Heat skillet over high heat. Brush the skillet with olive oil.

Cook the flatbread in a heated skillet for 1 ½ minutes. Flip it and cook for another minute.

Serve flatbread warm and enjoy!

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