Grilled Flatbread Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Grill/Barbecue

by: Erin Jeanne McDowell

August14,2014

4.6

5 Ratings

  • Makes 4 medium flatbreads
  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 3 cupsbread flour (396 g)
  • 1 teaspoonkosher salt (3.5 g)
  • 1 teaspooninstant yeast (4 g)
  • 1 1/4 cupswarm water (292.5 g)
  • 1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil (43 g), plus more for brushing
  • Flaky salt, for finishing
  • Leaves of 1 to 2 sprigs rosemary, for finishing
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt to combine. Add the yeast and mix to combine.
  2. Make a well in the center of the bowl, and add the water and olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the mixture forms a shaggy mass.
  3. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball, 6 to 9 minutes (or 3 to 4 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook).
  4. Transfer the dough to a medium, lightly oiled bowl. Loosely cover, and let rise until the dough is double in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  5. Preheat the grill or grill pan until smoking hot. Clean and oil the grates of the grill.
  6. While the grill is heating up, divide the dough into four (roughly even) pieces; it will be on the sticky side, so oil your hands a little to make the dough easier to handle. Holding the dough on its outside edges, stretch it gently, letting gravity do most of the work to form it into an oblong shape. Lightly oil both sides of the dough. (I do this on a baking sheet that is greased in oil -- I stretch the dough and place it onto the baking sheet, which is covered in oil. When I get out to the grill, I flip it over quickly to oil the other side, and, while it’s still in my hand, I throw it onto the grill grates).
  7. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. When the breads are still hot from the grill, brush with more olive oil, and top with flaky salt and rosemary leaves. They are best warm, but will keep for a couple days too – they make for a good picnic lunch with chicken salad, a vessel for hummus or other dips, or -- my favorite -- slathered with pesto and ricotta cheese.

Tags:

  • Flatbread
  • Bread
  • American
  • Grill/Barbecue
  • Entree

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • bottomsupranch

  • Karen Williams

  • Joana

  • Valerie Bryan

  • Micki Balder

Recipe by: Erin Jeanne McDowell

I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

Popular on Food52

28 Reviews

I use this recipe every chance I get and never remembered to review it until now! I've made flatbreads, gyros, pizzas, cut it up into little bite sized slices and served with a cheese board, you name it! I've developed a habit of only adding 1 cup of water at first and then adding extra tablespoons if it's too dry at the start, and I almost never reach the full 1 1/4 cup. Love this flatbread!

moody B. July 9, 2018

This worked very well. I may have added a tad too much water in the beginning - the dough was very sticky and continually stuck to my counter. But I kept going and sprinkled tiny bits of flour onto the dough as I kneaded until it wasn't quite as sticky and was smooth. I proofed in the oven with a tray of boiling water for 1 hour 15 minutes. I actually separated the dough into 8 smaller balls and cooked 2 at a time in a cast iron pan on the stove - only took about 90 seconds per side with a smoking skillet. This is the first bread-y recipe I've had great success with! Gives me the confidence to tackle something else. Thanks you!

Andrea M. April 29, 2018

Delicious! I used 50g less water and plain, rather than bread flour. So easy and comforting. Served with this... https://www.nigella.com/recipes/warm-shredded-lamb-salad-with-mint-and-pomegranate

bottomsupranch April 16, 2017

Great recipe! I followed it as is with no problems. Divided it into 12 and grilled it on a grill pan. SOOO good!

Gus May 26, 2016

Most bakers use weights of ingredients as percentages of the flour weight, This recipe has a hydration of 78% which is really difficult to work with for most people. Cut the water back to one cup and you are closer to 62% or a standard New York Style pizza dough.

Karen W. May 22, 2016

Doubled it, added fresh minced garlic and a large handful of cilantro leaves from the garden to the dough and omitted the extra salt and rosemary. This turned out incredibly good, though the dough was too slack for my personal preferences; I simply added additional flour. Next time I'll start with less water and go from there.

fishinwidow April 16, 2016

Loved it! Used 14oz bread flour - all other measurements the same. Cooked in grill pan on top of stove. They puffed up more than expected. The flavor was great. Ate with ricotta, roasted tomatoes, pesto. Thinking maybe dates, honey, and ricotta for morning...

Joana January 10, 2016

How can I store the batter? and for how long?

CanadaDan December 26, 2015

great recipe! after kneading i proofed for about 5 hours in my fridge before transferring to a warmed then turned off oven for about 2 hours and they were perfect on the grill. thanks very much

nilly August 25, 2015

Can this dough be baked? I need to make multiple flatbreads at once and cooking on a grill pan is not ideal.

Valerie B. August 21, 2015

I have a brand new Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe and I would love to make this flatbread on it. Since it has two grill pans that can be used to cook both sides simultaneously (like a panini press), would this half the grill time? As in, just 4-5 min total? I've not tried to make bread before.

Micki B. August 20, 2015

I love this recipe, and have made it multiple times. Sometimes it's a little sticky, but I power through and it still turns out delicious. Last night I stuffed them with a little gorgonzola. EXTRA DELICIOUS. Awesome idea.

Elida July 27, 2015

The weight measurements are off completely! I should have followed the cups measurements as those seem more the bread percentages of 75-85. the weights given in the recipe are off, are there any adjustments since this recipe e=was posted?

Carrie W. July 26, 2015

Griddle pan works wonderfully. I used my spritzer to cover the pan with olive oil and waited until it was smoking to add the dough. Everyone raved which was especially nice since I have never made bread in my life. I the dough to prove for two hours under a thin tea towel which didn't seem to cause any harm. Served with a dish of Cous Cous and Fesenjan.

Carrie W. June 14, 2015

Can you make these on a griddle pan? Or maybe under a broiler?

Jodi L. June 14, 2015

I have made them on the griddle on our stove top. I would assume a griddle pan would work just as well. I would make sure it is good and hot. I heat our griddle between 400-450. I prefer the grill for ease of cleaning but during inclement weather or empty grill tanks....this works just as good!

Charles W. September 21, 2014

I'm a restaurant owner and chef and I bake all the time. I followed the recipe exactly as I would the first time with any recipe. It took nearly twice the time rise and I wound up with an unbelievably sticky mess that was completely unworkable. I didnt even try to salvage this mess. I'm surprised that everybody else seems to have no issue here.

Stephanie September 22, 2014

Hi Charles,

If you are still interested in giving the recipe a go, the tweaks I made to the method might help -

Rather than stretching the dough and greasing it in oil on a baking sheet, I simply get the grill going nicely, oil up my hands really well and form balls to throw on the grill. I don't even stretch it out much at all, I really like it thicker.. Once on the grill, the pieces are easily turned over with tongs.

It's a much simpler approach and the only way I'll do it now!

Charles W. September 22, 2014

Do you have the amounts in weight? This dough was far to wet to even make a ball.

Stephanie September 22, 2014

Ahhh unfortunately I don't have a kitchen scale just yet.. I definitely need one. Perhaps because I'm using AP Flour rather than Bread Flour it's a little different? I also make the dough much further ahead time wise just to let it take its time rising. I made this last night in fact, and prepped the dough a good few hours before grilling.

Jodi L. June 14, 2015

There are weights in the recipe. I add more flour than it calls for but that is typical in bread baking. We love this bread. I make a double batch and freeze it. The kids pop it into the toaster when they want a piece. I add the herbs into the dough instead of sprinkling on top as well. Saves a step in the grilling process. Sometimes I skip the herbs or change out the rosemary for chives, scallions, etc..

Elida July 27, 2015

I agree! Didn't work for me....the weight measurements are not correct...

Meghan J. September 17, 2014

Could you use whole wheat flour instead? Would you need to alter any measurements?

Lindsey September 8, 2014

This recipe is so easy and SO good. All of my dinner guests were impressed and gobbled it up. I made and olive oil dipping sauce with roasted garlic, chili flakes, rock salt & rosemary!

amy.d.cutting September 8, 2014

Very good! Forgot to do the rosemary & salt after the grill in part because it was devoured by people before we were able to get to it. Perfectly complemented the rest of the dishes and was fantastic dunked in the chimichurri sauce!

Valley August 26, 2014

I made this tonight, and just like Stephanie, I used AP flour (ran out of bread flour). It was delicious! I sprinkled with some Maldon after taking off the grill. Wonderful recipe, thanks for sharing!

Grilled Flatbread Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why is my flatbread chewy? ›

The flour you used may have contained too much protein. Protein is one of the ingredients that help yeast bread brown. Use bread flour that is purchased at a grocery store or a national brand of all-purpose flour.

Should you toast flatbread? ›

Yes, flatbread is awesome toasted. What is this? You can also toast paninis, ciabatta, bagels, baguettes, tortillas, flatbreads, brioche – you really can toast any kind of bread!

Why is my flatbread hard? ›

Cook the flatbread on medium heat – too high heat will burn them. And yet, too low heat will cause them to become too hard when cooled.

What ingredient makes bread chewy? ›

Higher protein flours tend to produce chewier breads than lower protein flours. Some additions, like fats or pre-gelatinized starches, tend to make breads softer. Lean breads, which have no fats or sugars added, tend to be chewier. Lean breads are usually baked at a higher temperature, producing chewier crusts.

How do you know when flatbread is cooked? ›

Cooking Your Flatbreads

Heat a large cast iron skillet or griddle pan over the fire and dry fry your flatbreads, turning every few minutes. When they begin to bubble and puff up they're ready!

Is flatbread good or bad for you? ›

Flatbread can be a great choice that is part of a healthy, balanced diet. Homemade flatbread in particular is a great option so that you can control everything that goes into your flatbread, and use whole grains, and low fat options.

How long do you toast flatbread? ›

METHOD
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Arrange flatbreads on a baking sheet.
  2. Spread each flatbread with your magic touch and top with protein and 2 cups of fruit and veg.
  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
  4. Finally drizzle with more magic touch to taste.

Why is my flatbread not fluffy? ›

If your flatbreads are too dense, it's probably because you did not knead the dough enough. Make sure your dough looks completely smooth after kneading. You should also make sure that your baking powder is still viable or your flatbread will not rise as they bake and will turn out dense and hard.

Can you over knead flatbread? ›

The point of kneading dough is to help strengthen the gluten in it. Gluten is what gives your bread; it's structure and texture. Gluten that is not strong enough results from under kneaded dough, whereas gluten that is too tight results from over kneaded dough.

What kind of bread is used for flatbread? ›

Flat breads are made throughout most of the world. Examples are pita (from the Middle East), chapati and naan (India), tortilla (Mexico) and focaccia (Italy). The bread may be leavened (have a raising agent of yeast or sourdough) or unleavened.

How are flatbreads traditionally made? ›

Traditional Flatbread

When searching for flatbread, you might notice a few different kinds. To make flatbread, water, salt, flour and often a leavening like yeast are combined into a dough and rolled out into a flat oblong, oval, or rectangular shape.

Why is my flatbread raw? ›

Problems with quick breads that are raw in the center or dipped, rather than domed, in the middle are pretty common. Sometimes things do just need longer to bake for … whatever reason. As with any other kind of bake, the best first step to take is to weigh your ingredients.

How do I make my bread less chewy? ›

Avoid Using Too Much Flour On Your Dough Surface

What is this? Try to minimise the amount of rice flour you use and brush off the excess before baking. If you are rubbing your dough with flour before baking to accentuate your scored designs, this too can dehydrate your crust, causing it to be tougher and more chewy.

What does it mean if my bread is chewy? ›

Over-kneading has a tendency to result in chewy bread. Here's how to tell if you've kneaded enough. Another possibility—you used bread flour when all-purpose flour would do. If a recipe with bread flour turned out chewier than you like, try it with all-purpose and knead only as much as the recipe directs.

How do you make bread crust less chewy? ›

Secrets to a Softer Crust
  1. Bake at Lower Temperatures. Many artisan bread recipes will have you cook your bread at a higher temperature to crisp the crust. ...
  2. Brush With Butter. ...
  3. Sweat It Out. ...
  4. Try a Recipe That Incorporates Milk. ...
  5. Use a Pain de Mie Pan.

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