Flatbread Fetish

So, it's February 2012.  I always fancied myself as a bit of a writer, a bit of a geezer, a bit "weeyyyyy" a bit "woooooooah".  But I never actually had the cojones to do it.  

I've got a little bit of time on my hands at the moment.  I'm a man of leisure without a job - well, not a real job, one where you wake up in the morning, jump on a train and smell someone else's armpit until you arrive in London Waterloo.

I thought I'd combine two things.  One that I _know_ I like doing - cooking.  And one that I think I like doing but haven't really tried yet - writing.

The aim of this blog is rather selfish really.  I want to start cataloging the recipes and cooking trends that I am currently enjoying.  It's funny.  I get the "oh you like cooking?  Whats your favourite recipe?" scenario often.  It's quite similar to trying to decide what flavour of crisps you prefer.  I don't have a favourite recipe (or a favourite flavour of crisps come to that).  Sometimes I want to melt into the oozing warmth of a freshly cooked shepherds pie.  Sometimes I want to cauterize my tongue with some bhulot jokia infused mayhem.

I'm currently experiencing a serious flatbread craze.  I'm a huge fan of the Moro ethos (www.moro.co.uk).  I love the sentiments towards simplicity, freshness and simply "what works".  I've used their flatbread recipe to make anything from pizza bases to pitta pockets to wraps.  Its seriously easy, requires almost no proving and within 30 minutes yields 6-8 super tasty flatbreads.  Here's how you do it:

• Use a decent flour, organic at least, fill a bowl with 200g or so.

• Mix 3/4 tsp of quick yeast with some warm water (about 80ml or so) 

• Tip the yeast water into the bowl.  Use your index finger only (a bit like a dough hook attachment) mix in the water.  

• Add some finely crushed sea salt to taste.  Add a good slug of decent extra virgin olive oil.

• Mix until you get a nice consistency of dough - then knead it until it begins to relax and become soft and pillowy (usually 5-10mins).

• You can prove this dough for 30-60 mins if you like but its not essential.

• Cut into 7 or 8 balls.  Flatten each ball out on a floured surface.

• Heat a heavy frying pan until it gets really hot.  Slap the disc of dough on.  You'll see bubbles form on the dough - flip it.  20-30 seconds on the other side and its done.

Repeat for the other balls.

Whilst we're on the subject of baking lets talk about something that pushed me to the brink of baking insanity.  Yeast - it's got a use-by date!  I never knew this and for a while used OOD yeast and wondered why the hell I wasn't getting any rise!!  I keep my yeast in the fridge now and keep a carefully attentive eye on the use-by date.