Global Flatbreads

• Corn-Wheat Tortillas
• Lebanese Wrapper Bread
• Chapatis

Corn-Wheat Tortillas

From Breadtime: A Down-to-Earth Cookbook for Bakers and Bread Lovers by Susan Jane Cheney

Yield: 6 (10-inch) tortillas

Preparation Time: About an hour, plus a minimum of 30 minutes to rest the dough

These combination tortillas have a subtle corn flavor and the flexibility and larger size of wheat tortillas. This dough, too, can be made ahead of time.

• 1/2 cup cornmeal (yellow or blue)
• 1 tablespoon sesame, corn, or other vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup spring water
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup whole wheat bread flour

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the cornmeal and oil. Heat the water to boiling; add the salt and pour over the cornmeal. Wait a few minutes, until the cornmeal has absorbed the water and has cooled to lukewarm.

Stir in the flour to form a dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Wash the bowl and lightly grease it. Thoroughly knead the dough, lightly sprinkling flour under it only as necessary to keep it from sticking. When it is smooth and resilient, form a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and plate, and set it aside for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for several hours or overnight.

Divide the dough into six equal pieces, form balls, and cover them. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 10-inch circle. Stack the tortillas between waxed paper and cover.

Cook tortillas on a hot griddle for about 20 seconds on each side, until lightly browned but still soft and pliable. Wrap them in a towel and serve warm.

Lebanese Wrapper Bread

From Breadtime: A Down-to-Earth Cookbook for Bakers and Bread Lovers by Susan Jane Cheney

Yield: 6 (12-inch) breads

Preparation Time: About 1 1/2 hours to prepare and roll out the dough; 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours for rising; 30 to 40 seconds to bake each bread.

This is lavosh—large, thin, flexible Middle Eastern flat breads, made from a strong, yeasted wheat dough. They’re used for scooping or wrapping up vegetable or bean dips, salads, or kebabs. You can bake them either on a sheet in a hot oven or on top of the stove, draped over an inverted wok or on a griddle if the breads are small enough to fit. As with pita, the yeast in this dough contributes to its flavor and texture; the bread doesn’t rise when baked.

• 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm spring water
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of flour, cover, and set in a draft-free spot for a few minutes to proof the yeast. Stir in one-half cup of the flour to form a batter. Cover and set it aside for about thirty minutes, until a sponge develops.

Stir in the salt. Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until a dough forms. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and cover it for several minutes.

Thoroughly knead the dough, lightly sprinkling flour under it only as necessary to keep it from sticking. When the dough is smooth and resilient, form it into a ball. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set it aside for one to two hours, until the dough has risen and does not rebound when pressed with a finger.

Turn the dough out and knead it a few times. Return it to the bowl, covered, to rise a second time.

Cut the dough into six equal pieces and roll each one into a ball. Set the balls on a lightly floured surface and cover them for thirty minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, with a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 12-inch circle. Stack them, separated by waxed paper and covered with a damp towel.

Preheat the oven to 500°. Bake bread on an ungreased pan for fifteen to twenty seconds on each side. Alternatively, use a hot griddle or inverted wok on top of the stove. In any case, work quickly so that the breads stay soft and flexible.

As each bread is done, fold it in quarters, and wrap it in a dry towel. Serve the breads warm.

Refrigerate or freeze the breads when they have cooled thoroughly. Wrap and reheat at 350° for several minutes.

Chapatis

Yield: 12 (5- to 6-inch) chapatis

These simple, traditional Indian flatbreads are wonderful served with any of the curried soup and stew recipes in these pages.

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water, or as needed
• Cooking oil spray

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together. Add water a bit at a time until the dough holds together. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a small floured bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.

Heat a small nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking oil.

Roll out each ball of dough into a thin round, about 5 inches in diameter. Cook one at a time on the skillet over medium heat until touched with light brown spots, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side; repeat with the other balls of dough. Keep the chapatis warm, stacked one atop another in foil, until all are done. Serve at once.