Bread: Flatbreads

Flatbreads are some of our most delicious breads, and very gratifying to make. The name explains what they have in common – they are all flat – and although some contain yeast, such as Middle Eastern lavash and pitta, many are unleavened, like Indian rotis. They are ideally suited to rapid cooking in the fierce heat of a wood-fired oven, in a tandoor, or on a hot griddle (or tawa). The latter is easiest to replicate in a domestic kitchen, and the open flame of a gas hob can stand in for the direct flame used to finish off chapatis (the phulka). Flatbreads are particularly prevalent in Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, and are ideally suited to scooping up a mouthful of an aromatic tagine or spiced curry. This collection forms part of An introduction to Bread.