Tortillas and Pita Bread

My farmers went on vacation this past week which meant no CSA pick up for me. And it kind of ruined my life. I hadn't fully appreciated how much the CSA had simplified my menu planning, so meals have been more random and sporadic than usual. Last night I decided to do fish tacos (this decision was solely based on the fact that I had fish and a mango) and so I made tortillas for the first time. And they were amazing. And easy. Promise.

2 c flour (preferably pastry either white or whole wheat)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 t vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
3/4 c water or milk

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle oil over the flour mixture and work with your fingers until evenly combined. Stir in the water and work with your fingers to form a sticky ball.

Flour your counter and turn out dough and knead vigorously until smooth and soft for about a minute. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the dough and let rest for 15 minutes if you used pastry flour or 30 minutes if you used all-purpose. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll each one into a circle, making it as thin as possible but also handling it as little as possible. (Some of mine were way too thick, but still tasted great).

Heat an ungreased griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Once hot cook each tortilla for 40 seconds on the first side and 40 to 60 seconds on the second side. Wrap tortillas in a towel to keep warm.

Tonight we are grilling chicken and red onion (seriously lacking in the veg department right now) and wrapping it in pita bread. This is my favorite recipe:

1 1/2 c warm water
2 1/4 t active dry yeast (1 envelop)
1 t honey
1 3/4 t salt
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour or 1 c whole wheat flour mixed with 1/2 c wheat germ or bran
2 c bread flour (I just use all-purpose)

Put water in a mixing bowl and stir in yeast and honey and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the salt and olive oil and then beat in the whole wheat flour and germ or bran (if using) until smooth. Add remaining flour in small increments until the dough is too heavy to stir. Turn out onto a counter and knead until it is smooth and supple, adding more flour if required. Put in an oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover and set aside until doubled for about an hour.

Punch down dough and divide into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and cover with a damp towel. Preheat oven to 475 degrees with a baking stone or baking sheet. After dough has rested for 15 minutes roll each into a circle a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Drop the rounds of dough directly onto the stone or heated pans and bake for 3 minutes. They should be completely puffed. Remove from the oven and cover with a towel to help them deflate.

Both of these recipes are from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for everyone.

Ellie Giobbi's Italian-Style Bread

I found this recipe in yet another DI cookbook that sat on my mom's shelf and then my shelf for some time. It is our new favorite bread. This recipe makes 8 loaves (20 inches long and 3 inches wide) and I wrap each loaf in foil and keep it in the freezer. Each day I just take it out and set it on the counter to defrost and then save the foil for my next batch. Or if you want it hot just heat your oven to 500 degrees and put the bread in, wrapped in the foil, for 15 minutes.

2 T active dry yeast
8 c warm water
about 16 c flour*
2 T kosher salt or 1 1/4 T table salt

*I used 2/3 whole wheat (which I ground myself, aren't I just so domestic) and 1/3 all purpose. I ended up adding a bit more than 16 cups, I think I used 18, but my dough was still sticky and wet and it worked perfectly. Don't add too much flour!

Mix the yeast and water together and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add most of the flour and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the yeast water gradually, stirring as you pour. Work dough into a manageable ball and turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Knead until elastic, adding more flour as necessary, for about 10 minutes.

Oil the bottom and sides of a clean bowl and turn dough to coat, cover with a towel, and place in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn dough out and punch down. Divide into 8 pieces and form each piece into a long loaf - about 18 inches long and 2 inches wide. Place on an oiled baking sheet (I fit 4 per pan) and cover and let double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bread in oven on baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes, spritzing with water a few times during the first 15 minutes of baking to get a crisp crust. Remove bread from trays, turn them over, lower heat to 350 degrees, and bake 10 to 20 more minutes until done. Cool on racks.

I baked 2 pans at a time, and rotated them when I lowered the heat. They didn't need much more time to bake, about 6 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees. This bread has a great taste and a tender crumb and freezes well. Eight loaves may seem like a lot but they disappeared fast in our house.

Pizza on the grill.

We waited to purchase a grill until we could buy a Traeger because once I tasted the deliciousness made by its wood-pellet burning self I couldn't settle for anything less. Completely worth the wait. (Costco has a Traeger special twice a year by the way.)

A few weeks ago I taught 14 12 and 13 year olds how to make homemade pizza and sauce. I tried out some new recipes and combined a few to come up with what is now my favorite of favorites. Absolutely delicious. We just made them with mozzarella on top but you can do anything you want.

I didn't plan anything for dessert and we had some dough left over so we rolled it out, grilled it, and then topped it with melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and sweetened whipped cream. It was also amazing.

When I grill pizza I first grill my crust lightly on both sides, then remove and add toppings and return to the grill until it is done. I grill them at 450 degrees. I roll my crust very thin and use semolina to dust my rolling surface. I know the pre-grilling is done when my dough starts to puff up. Here's the recipe:

Pizza Dough

Combine the following in a bowl and stir until dissolved;

¼ c chicken stock (this doesn't taste odd in the dessert version by the way)

¾ c warm water

1 pkg dry yeast

1 T honey

1 T olive oil

Add and mix with a wooden spoon;

1 c flour

Add 2 more cups of flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until dough is smooth and firm. Grease a bowl with 1 T olive oil and then place dough in bowl, turning to coat with oil, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Pizza Sauce

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (drain but reserve ¼ c liquid)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T olive oil

¼ to ½ t salt

1/8 to ¼ t freshly ground black pepper

1 t brown sugar

3 T tomato paste

2 t dried oregano

1 t dried thyme (ground if you are bothered by texture)

¼ to ½ t fennel seed, ground

Heat olive oil in a NON REACTIVE pot just over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add all other dry ingredients and stir until fragrant. Add tomatoes and stir to coat with oil mixture and let cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and ¼ c reserved tomato liquid. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, smashing tomatoes and stirring occasionally. This recipe is easily doubled and is even better the next day.

If you cannot grill your pizzas, try this trick;

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium high heat and precook your rolled out dough on each side until golden brown spots appear. Let cool and then top with sauce and toppings and bake in 500 degree oven until done.

Carrot Gnocchi and Bread

I have had one life changing gnocchi experience, one really good gnocchi experience, and many terrible gnocchi experiences. The life changing one occurred at a completely legit Italian restaurant in San Francisco where their Italian accents were still so pronounced that I could barely understand their English when they spoke to us. The really good gnocchi was at Pizzeria 712 in Orem, UT and it was a ricotta gnocchi with a creamy goat cheese sauce.

Tonight I made this gnocchi. Here are my tips:
*It says it serves 4 but I doubled the recipe and it just fed the three in our household who have advanced past baby food.
*I didn't have any Parmesan cheese so I didn't use it. I also didn't have fresh sage.
*WHEN I make this again I will make the dough in the morning instead of doing it all at once.
*I don't know why it says to boil them for 6 to 7 seconds, mine took much longer.

I made a coconut sauce to accompany them and I just made a roux with some butter, flour and Better than Bullion chicken stock mix (about 1 tsp) and once that was combined and cooked I added about 1/2 a can of light coconut milk. Once it had thickened I added just a bit of cinnamon and ginger.

I also made this bread which can be made in less than 2 hours. I made one loaf instead of three.

We rounded out our meal with some of the wilted maple spinach. Great dinner. My kitchen is now a mess.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

These are very very good. The original recipe is from Vegetarian Times but I added some chocolate chips to the batter and they now double as a semi-healthy breakfast/mostly-healthy dessert. The best part? No eggs, which means you can lick the bowl clean without an ounce of guilt.

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c buttermilk
3/4 c mashed banana
1/3 c canola oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and dust with sugar for an extra sweet crunch.

Whisk together all dry ingredients. In another bowl combine the buttermilk, banana, oil, and vanilla. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Gently add chocolate chips.

Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. SO GOOD.

Nana's Bread

Yesterday I decided to bake Nana's bread. Growing up I thought her bread was the best in the world, but during the last 10 years it simply became the best toast in the world, but untoasted it was just ordinary. Making her bread 3 times in the past week has helped me figure out what happened. The original recipe (from my great grandmother) calls for melted shortening. After my Papa's heart attack and subsequent surgery 6 years ago she started using olive oil instead and replaced the sugar with honey. She also started baking the bread longer, why I don't know. I've tweaked it a bit and last night the loaves where moist and delicious. I made 3 loaves of bread and used the last quarter of dough to make what just might be the best cinnamon rolls of all times.

Nana's White Bread

3 tsp dry yeast

2 1/2 c warm water

4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 c olive oil

1/3 c melted butter

6 Tbs sugar

6 tsp salt

2 c warm buttermilk (use the real thing, not powder)

7 to 9 c all-purpose flour

Sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and add a pinch of sugar. Let sit until yeast has proofed and risen considerably. Meanwhile combine 4 cups flour and baking soda in a very large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine the olive oil, melted butter, sugar, salt, and buttermilk. When yeast has proofed add along with buttermilk mixture to the flour and baking soda. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Continue to add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When dough becomes too difficult to stir, knead in the remaining flour. (Don't add too much and don't add too little. With practice you'll figure out just how much to add.) Knead the dough 100 times, adding more flour as needed, until dough is smooth and satiny. Shape into a ball, rub top with olive oil, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Set in a warm spot to rise. (This can take 2 to 3 hours.) When dough has doubled in size punch down and cover and let rise a second time. When dough has again doubled punch down and divide into fourths. Grease 4 bread pans (or 3 if you want to make cinnamon rolls). Flatten each quarter of dough, removing all of the bubbles, and roll up to make a loaf, being sure to pinch the seam and the ends. Place in pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining dough and once again cover and let rise until doubled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly in pans (about 3 minutes) and then remove from pans and let cool completely on cooling rack.

***Cinnamon roll variation

You can obviously use all of the bread dough to make these cinnamon rolls rather than just a quarter, but it will make a lot!

If you like raisins, combine 1 c raisins with 1 c boiling water and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Let sit until they absorb some of the liquid, then drain and set aside until ready to use. This is very good!

Before flattening dough knead in:

zest of 1 orange

1 vanilla bean, scraped

2 T sugar

until mixed into dough. Flatten as much as possible and brush with melted butter. Generously sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. (Be generous!) Add raisins if using. tightly roll up into a long log and cut with string or floss every 1/2 inch. Place rolls into greased 9x13-inch pan and cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly then cover with glaze.

Glaze

1 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 T melted butter

2 to 6 T milk

Stir until combined. Adjust milk/sugar proportions to reach your desired consistency.

I firmly believe cinnamon rolls should be eaten warm. Simply pop one in the microwave for 20 seconds and prepare to become addicted.

Good Recipes

I love Autumn food. Here are a few of my favorite recipes as of late.

Gingersnaps - these are made with whole wheat pastry flour and turbinado sugar which gives them a healthy edge and a delightful crunch from the sugar that contrasts nicely with the softness of the cookie.

Beef Stew with Fennel and Shallots - from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook which happens to be my new favorite. The recipes are delicious and healthy. I don't like stew as a general rule but this one is fantastic. I left out the bay leaf, the boiling onions, and used button mushrooms instead of portobello and it was still delicious. Serve with Whole Grain Buttermilk Biscuits, they are wonderful.

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions - another keeper from the Mayo Clinic. I made whole wheat dumplings with this dish and it was perfect. Let me know if you want the dumpling recipe.

And for dessert? Whip up the Date-Walnut Cake with Warm Honey Sauce.

Now go buy the cookbook.

Recipes for Melissa & then some

Melissa - I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to post these recipes! Hopefully it isn't too late. This scone recipe is one that I've adapted from the American Heart Association Cookbook on page 515. The original recipe calls for pineapple juice but my mom substituted orange juice one day and that was the beginning of our mutual love for this great recipe. It can be easily adapted to whatever ingredients you have on hand. Some of our favorite combinations include lemon poppy seed, orange poppy seed, and orange lavender. Feel free to play around with the flavor combinations. The original recipe also calls for 1/2 c dried cranberries which I always omit, but you can add them or any other dried fruit that sounds tasty.

Scones
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c sugar
1 Tbs poppy seeds (optional, sometimes I substitute 1/2 tsp lavender buds or orange zest)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
1/2 c dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 c orange juice
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Stir in cranberries (if using) and make a well in the center of mixture. Pour in juice and egg and stir until just combined. Don't over mix!

With floured hands divide the dough in half. Shape into 2 balls and place on baking sheet 4 to inches apart. Flatten each into a 6-inch disk. Cut each into 8 wedges with a sharp knife, but do not separate.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes on a cooling rack.

***I like to drizzle these with a simple icing made with powdered sugar and orange juice. Sometimes I mix lavender buds with the sugar in my coffee grinder. Sometimes I add orange or lemon zest. Play around with the flavors. These are delicious and easy.

You also asked for a recipe for white bread. I am assuming you want the normal white loaf sandwich bread, and this is the only recipe I've tried. Bryant & I are in love with this bread, it is delicious. Again, this only makes one loaf. There is a basic white bread recipe in the American Heart Association cookbook (pg 463) but I haven't tried it yet, and it makes two loaves. This recipe is from the Wednesday Chef blog.

Maple White Bread (Makes 1 large loaf)
1 cup milk (whole milk is best, but any kind will do)
1/4 cup maple syrup (use real maple syrup, not the fake stuff)
4 tablespoons sweet butter (unsalted)
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 teaspoon sugar or maple sugar
1 egg beaten
4 cups (approximately) unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Place milk, maple syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan and scald. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water along with the sugar. Set aside for five minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. Transfer the milk mixture to a large bowl, stir in the yeast mixture and then stir in the egg.
3. Stir in two cups of the flour. Then add more flour about one-half cup at a time until a ball of dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for about eight minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn the dough to oil on all sides, cover lightly and set aside to rise until doubled, about an hour.
4. Punch down dough, turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for another minute or so. Roll dough into a rectangle about nine by 12 inches, then roll tightly, jellyroll fashion, starting from the narrow side. Pinch the seam and ends closed. Fit the dough seam side down into a greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch baking pan.
5. Cover and set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread in the oven and bake about 45 minutes, until well browned. Remove from pan and allow to cool freely on a rack before slicing.

To read the original post go to http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2009/02/maple-white-bread.html

I have taken a cooking hiatus this past month because I was sick for half of it and out of town for the other half. Last Saturday I cooked dinner for 40 people. It was a lot of work, a lot of fun, and a great learning experience. I will share my recipes and experience soon. I am finally getting back into the swing of things now that I am feeling better, and one thing that really helped me this week was prepping all of my produce in one day. On Monday I went grocery shopping and bought yellow squash, zucchini, onion, yams, corn, and carrots. I diced the squash, yams, zucchini, and onion and put in separate containers in the fridge. I removed the kernels from the corn and shredded the carrots and gave each of them their own containers. Then I cooked a big batch of brown rice (which turned out perfect for once thank to this great advice) and separated it into 1 cup servings. Cooking has been a breeze. I've made vegetarian burritos by sauteing all of the veggies with the rice and black beans, then folding them up in a whole wheat tortilla and serving with sour cream. I made egg fried rice by again sauteing the veggies (except for the corn), adding rice and then 3 lightly beaten eggs. Dessert has been fresh fruit including strawberries, figs, and black grapes. Tonight I am cooking for friends and planning on making ricotta ravioli with a reduced chicken stock sauce, crostini with pesto and thinly sliced tomatoes, and a special dessert that I saved from an old day planner - poached pears filled with a sweet mascarpone mixture and topped with toasted almonds and crushed amaretti cookies. It should be good. I will try to take photos before devouring the food.

Challah

Oh Kathy, I do not understand why it has taken me so long to post this recipe. I found a great bread book at the library several months ago titled Secrets of Jewish Baker. I've only tried this challah recipe, but it is good enough to convince me that I cannot live without this book. Challah makes the best toast, and the best french toast. The only tricky part is the braiding, but it is forgiving and you can braid and unbraid several times until you get it right. I prefer to not use seeds on the top, but I am sure it would be lovely either way. Make this bread and prepare to become addicted. Toasting it is the key!

Homemade Bread

A slice of warm, freshly baked bread has to be one of life's greatest pleasures. Homemade bread also makes a great gift. One night at dinner our friends served the most delicious bread and I loved the bread so much that I apologized for not eating the dinner, but explained that the bread was all I wanted. My cute friend Jill called Bryant later in the week to find out when I would be home so that she could surprise me with a loaf. Not only did she bring me a warm loaf of delicious bread, but also strawberry jam from her grandmother. I later realized that this was the first time anyone, other than my own grandmother, had given me bread. For some reason bread seems like an incredibly personal gift, perhaps because it represents home. Here are two of my favorite bread recipes. The first is a 100% whole wheat bread from King Arthur Flour. The recipe is quick, moist, and only makes 1 loaf which is perfect for Bryant & I. We don't have much freezer space so I would rather make bread more frequently than make 4 loaves at once, especially when the recipe takes so little time. The second recipe is from my friend Jill, and is perfect when you want fresh bread with dinner but don't have time to let it rise.

Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
1 1/3 c lukewarm water
1/4 c olive oil (or you can use vegetable oil)
1/4 c honey (or you can use maple syrup, but I prefer honey)
3 1/2 c Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 c nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until it becomes smooth and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 hour depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface and shape into an 8-inch log. Place in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 to 60 minutes or until it has crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with foil after 20 minutes. Test for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom, it should sound hollow. Remove from oven, turn out of pan, and cool on rack. Makes 1 loaf.

Jill's Irish Brown Bread

*I have made this by hand and in my food processor, both work great although the food processor is much faster.*

1 c all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp cold butter
2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c regular rolled oats
1 1/2 c nonfat plain yogurt

Mix first 5 ingredients and then cut in butter until mixture forms fine crumbs. Stir in whole wheat flour and oats. Add yogurt and stir gently. If mixture is too dry stir in some milk 1 teaspoon at a time just until dough holds together.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead 5 times to make a ball. Set on a lightly greased baking sheet and pat into a 7-inch circle. Cut a large X on top of loaf.

Bake at 375 degrees until well browned, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes 1 loaf.

Cinnamon Swirlies

I love cinnamon rolls and have about 5 different recipes - all wonderful, and all very time consuming. This is another Vegetarian Times find that I've adapted to fit my tastes. These are not so much a cinnamon roll but a cinnamon roll pastry, almost a cross between a cinnamon roll and a scone. Bryant dubbed them cinnamon swirlies and the name stuck. They are delicious and can be whipped up in under 30 minutes. Instant gratification - that's what I'm talking about.

3/4 c skim or low fat milk
2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole-wheat flour
1/4 c sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 c brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Heat milk in microwave for 30 seconds, until warm to the touch. Sprinkle with yeast and set aside.

Combine flours, white sugar, baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and salt in bowl. Rob butter into flour mixture with fingers, or cut in with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in milk until soft dough forms. Transfer to a lightly-floured surface and press into a 12x6-inch rectangle.

Combine brown sugar and remaining cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over dough (it will seem like quite a lot of sugar, but use it all) and press in lightly with the palms of your hands. Gently roll dough lengthwise into log. Cut into 16 3/4-inch thick slices. Place on baking sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with glaze.

For the glaze combine 1/2 Tbs butter, 1 to 2 Tbs milk, 1 tsp lemon juice (optional) and 1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla. Add enough powder sugar to thicken, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup. It will seem rather thick, but will melt over the cinnamon swirlies. These are fabulous warm or cold.

Basic Flatbread

Flatbread gets a bad rap for being stale and tasteless, but I guarantee this recipe will quickly make it a family favorite. Soft and billowy, this is one of the best flatbread recipes I’ve found. (Recipe from Cooking Light, not sure of which issue.)

2 ¼ c all-purpose flour, divided
Dash of sugar
2 ¼ tsp or 1 pkg. dry yeast
6 TBS warm water (100º-110ºF)
½ c warm water (100º-110ºF)
½ tsp salt
Cooking Spray
Cornmeal (optional)

Lightly spoon flour into cups to measure; level with a knife.

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 6 TBS warm water in a large bowl; stir in ¼ c flour. Let stand 30 minutes or until bubbly. Add 1 ¾ c flour, ½ c warm water, and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour (1 TBS at a time) until dough no longer sticks to hands. Place in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down and let rest 5 minutes.

Sprinkle counter with cornmeal. Divide dough into quarters and roll out to ¼ inch thickness. Place on baking stone (or baking sheet) and bake in a preheated oven at 375ºF until puffed and barely golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve warm.

There are endless fillings for flatbread. Cooking light recommended an unusual filling of arugala lightly dressed with a mixture of diced shallots, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, sliced plums, chopped toasted walnuts, and goat cheese or feta. It was fantastic. Other options include hummus or a black bean & garlic puree topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, and feta.