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You could choose almost any leafy greens but I like kale with a mix of dill and mint. That, plus a combination of 3 cheeses makes for an interesting tasting flatbread. Notice the flecks of green in the dough? More kale!
The whole scene was so raw and real. It was as if they were cooking the food of their ancestors which of course they were. The flatbreads were simply prepared as flatbreads usually are and it looked delicious.
The women sat on the dirt floor, knees drawn up to their chest, huddled over huge wood-burned hotplates so large, I would not be able to encircle it with my arms. One woman would deftly roll out the dough into very wide thin rounds and half fill it with chopped leafy vegetables and feta before she folded it shut with a thin metre long dowel, followed by a quick seal of edges by nimble fingers. Thrown in one swift movement to the awaiting hotplate, it landed expertly and cooked speedily. Healthy fast food for a change!
Rick Stein oohed and aahed as he was served a pipping hot one and referred to the flatbread as 'gozleme', its Turkish name. It reminds me of the Armenian version called, 'jingalov hats' which are filled with even more green leafy vegetables.
The whole process fascinated me -from the rolling out of the dough, filling it in, flattening, sealing it shut and cooking it on a hotplate. So I had to make my own and here it is. I am glad I did. It is soft and delicious, just as I expected it to be.
What to serve with these you might wonder. Scroll down to 'Tips' for lots of suggestions.
This goes really well with my Pineapple Ginger Lime Beer.
Prep:
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1 hour
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Cook:
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~ 30 minutes
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Inactive:
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Dough rise time ~ 30 - 60 minutes
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Level:
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Difficult as it has multiple steps
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Makes:
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Four 9" (23cm) half-moons flatbreads
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Oven Temperature:
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-
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Can recipe be doubled?
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Make ahead?
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Up to 2 hours but best freshly made
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Just the ingredients
The kale
10.58oz (300g) fresh kale (for use in dough and filling)
The dough
Dry ingredients
~2 and 1/4 cups (10.8oz) (306g) bread or all-purpose/plain flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Wet ingredients
1 and 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup blanched kale or blanched/frozen spinach
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup water
The filling
3/4 cup (and up to a total of 1 and 1/4 cups) blanched kale
OR
3/4 cup blanched or frozen spinach
1 cup mix of 3 grated cheeses
I like a mix of 3 cheeses, in varying ratios (to your taste) with at least one mildly flavoured goat cheese included in the mix. If you are not into goat cheese, then include one strong or sharply flavoured cheese. If not, the filling will taste pretty flat.
2 Tablespoons chopped dill
1 Tablespoons chopped mint
1/3 cup finely diced onions
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
For brushing flatbread
~ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
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The kale
10.58oz (300g) fresh kale
Weight before stalks are trimmed and kale is blanched.
Dry ingredients
~2 and 1/4 cups (10.8oz) (306g) bread or all-purpose/plain flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Wet ingredients
1 and 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup blanched kale or blanched/frozen spinach
1/2 cup water
To puree 1/4 cup of blanched kale
1/4 cup water
Filling
3/4 cup (and up to a total of 1 and 1/4 cups) blanched kale
OR
3/4 cup blanched or frozen spinach
If using blanched/frozen spinach, adjust water for dough accordingly.
1 cup mix of 3 grated cheeses
I like a mix of 3 cheeses, in varying ratios (to your taste) with at least one mildly flavoured goat cheese included in the mix. If you are not into goat cheese, then include one strong or sharply flavoured cheese. If not, the filling will taste pretty flat.
2 Tablespoons chopped dill
1 Tablespoons chopped mint
1/3 cup finely diced onions
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
For brushing flatbread
~1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Method
The kale
Remove the entire tough stem of each leaf of kale. It's too tough to use for this recipe. Please scroll down to 'Tips' to find out how I use the stems.
Kale leaves can hold quite a bit of dirt so clean and wash them well. Drain and use your hands to tear them into 2" (5cm) strips.
Blanch the kale into a pot of boiling salted water for 1 - 1.5 minutes. The aim is to soften the leaves and not to cook them entirely.
Drain the kale and immerse them into a cold water bath to stop the cooking.
Drain the kale thoroughly and squeeze out all excess water.
Use a measuring cup to compress 1 cup of kale.
Remove 1/4 cup of it for the dough. Set aside.
Reserve the remaining 3/4 cup for the filling.
If you have any excess kale, you can use up to an additional 1/2 cup more of kale on top of the 3/4 cup (for the filling). No point wasting.
The dough
Puree the 1/4 cup of blanched kale with the 1/2 cup of water. Set aside.
Using a machine
Add all the dried ingredients into your mixer bowl and mix well.
Pour in the kale puree. Add the extra virgin olive oil.
Remember the 1/4 cup of water? Pour that in now but reserve ~1 Tablespoon of it.
Start your machine on low to avoid a powder puff of flour in your face and gradually work up the speed to medium-high.
After 5 minutes or so, the dough would have come together.
If the dough looks very sticky, add 1 Tablespoon of flour and let the machine run for 1 minute. If necessary, add more flour in increments of 1 Tablespoon but you really should not need to add flour. The final dough will be slightly sticky. It is better to finish off with a moist, slightly sticky dough than a dry dough as the latter often bakes into dry bread.
If the dough looks at all dry, add the reserved 1 Tablespoon of water and let the machine run for 1 minute. If necessary, add more water in increments of 1 Tablespoon but you really should not need to add any more water beyond a total of 3 extra Tablespoons. The final dough will be slightly sticky. As mentioned, keep in mind that it is better to finish off with a moist, slightly sticky dough than a dry dough as the latter often bakes into dry bread.
When is the dough kneaded enough? With my KitchenAid, in about 7 - 10 minutes.
The dough should be not at all tight but very pliable and smooth.
Do the 'window pane' test. Pinch off a handful of dough. Stretch it. If it stretches easily and you can achieve a translucent membrane before the dough tears, all is well.
Divide into 4 balls. I like to weigh and then divide equally.
Prepare the filling whilst you wait.
Using your hands
In a large mixing bowl, mix up all the dry ingredients.
Pour in the kale puree. Add the extra virgin olive oil.
Remember the 1/4 cup of water? Pour that in now but reserve ~1 Tablespoon of it..
Work the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spoon. Switch to your hands once the spoon becomes useless and try and gather the dough into a ball.
If the dough looks very sticky, add 1 Tablespoon of flour and work it in. If necessary, add more flour in increments of 1 Tablespoon but you really should not need to add flour. The final dough will be slightly sticky. It is better to finish off with a moist, slightly sticky dough than a dry dough as the latter often bakes into dry bread.
If the dough looks at all dry, add the reserved 1 Tablespoon of water and work it in. If necessary, add more water in increments of 1 Tablespoon but you really should not need to add any more water beyond a total of 3 extra Tablespoons. The final dough will be slightly sticky. As mentioned, keep in mind that it is better to finish off with a moist, slightly sticky dough than a dry dough as the latter often bakes into dry bread.
Transfer the dough into your work top and start kneading the dough.
Flatten dough, pull the far edge in towards you as if you are trying to fold the dough almost in half.
With the heal of your palms, press down and push the dough out away from you.
Continue with this kneading. You might want to rotate the dough as you pull and push out the dough.
How long will it take? 15 minutes or so or until you have a dough that is not at all tight but very pliable and smooth. You might want to add 1/2 Tablespoon of water if you think the dough is just too tight despite continuous kneading.
Do the 'window pane' test. Pinch off a handful of dough. Stretch it. If it stretches easily and you can achieve a translucent membrane before the dough tears, all is well.
Divide into 4 balls. I like to weigh and then divide equally.
Brush each ball with extra virgin olive oil so that it does not dry out. Cover with plastic wrap and let them double in size, ~ 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare the filling whilst you wait.
The filling
Dice up the kale into smaller pieces.
Mix the 3/4 cup kale (and up to 1/2 cup more kale if you are trying to use up any excess kale), finely diced onions, chopped dill and mint, the cheese(s) and the pepper. Divide into 4 equal portions.
Have the salt nearby but do not add it in.
Assembling
Once your dough has doubled in size and your filling has been prepared, you can start to cook.
Have the following ready:
- Filling
- Salt
- Flour for dusting
- ~1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil for brushing over tops of flatbread
- Rolling pin
- 9" (23cm) Heavy base frying pan.
- Spatula to turn the flatbread
- Vessel to set down your cooked flatbread
Flour you work surface.
Place one dough ball on the work surface, flatten with the palm of your hand and flour both sides of the dough.
Roll the dough out to a size that will fit into your frying pan. In this case it is 9" (23cm).
Fill with one portion of filling and sprinkle with salt to taste.
How long it takes to cook depends, on how hot your pan gets. If the pan is too hot, it will brown quickly but the dough might not be cooked, so keep an eye and adjust the burner accordingly.
What to pair with flatbreads? Scroll down to 'Tips' for suggestions.
Tips
What to do with the kale stalks?
- Slice them at an angle into long diagonals. Flash fry them chinese style with a bit of garlic in oil. Season with soy sauce and salt or perhaps some chicken granules.
- Dice them and add them in when making fried rice. It gives a nice crunch.
- Personally, I cook, grind and add it into my dog's dinner. Then again, the dog is on home-prepared meals. Allergic to corn, potatoes, rice, soy, carrots and a whole lot of other food and environmental allergens (yes, he has been tested), let's just say it has the healthiest heart for a dog as the dog thrives on a staple of oats, broccoli and all things good. That's healthier eating compared to me!
What to eat with flatbreads?
- This is a good bread for dipping. To keep it at its simplest, serve with a bowl of yogurt that could be flavoured with minced garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.
- To keep it even more simple, have a bowl of extra virgin olive oil ready for dipping. I like to add a little sea salt to the oil and some times some chilli flakes and/or a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
- I often serve these flat bread with Italian Caprese Salad - fresh mozzarella, red tomatoes, basil, extra virgin olive oil and salt. Instead of mozzarella, l splurge on burrata which is made of mozzarella and cream. So delicious.
- I serve these with a hot tomato soup too.
- Or perhaps some prosciutto or Iberico ham.
- Or you could go crazy and prepare a spread of meze like I some times do. First picture is of a Middle Eastern and North Africa inspired meze. The second picture is a meze spread inspired by my Greek holiday in Santorini and Athens.
First row: Left to right
Second row: Left to right
Third row: Left to right
First row: Left to right
Second row: Left to right
Third row: Left to right
- Slow Cooked Octopus In A Sherry Vinegar Garlic Marinade
- Moussaka - A Baked Casserole Of Eggplants
- Tomatoey Meat Topped With A Creamy White Sauce
- Santorini Fava A Delicious Yellow Split Peas Dip
- Marinated Grilled Peppers With Fig Balsamic Cream
Second row: Left to right
- Greek Inspired Harissa-Style Hot Chilli Sauce To Go With Olives
- 5 Minutes Grilled Cheese
- Santorini Tomatoey Tomato Balls/Fritters
Third row: Left to right
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
What are they? Teaser: dough is made of sweet potatoes. Filling is savoury with a touch of sweet and spices.
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