Zatar Bread

[muck_a_luck]

ZATAR BREAD

6 c plain flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
2 c warm water
1.5 t salt.
1 t sugar
2 T oil

Sift flour into large mixing bowl and warm on a low setting in oven. Dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm water, add remaining water, and stir in salt and sugar. Remove 2 c flour from bowl and set aside.

Pour yeast into liquid and stir in flour to make a thick batter. Cover and leave in warm place til frothy. Stir in remaining flour. Add oil. Beat by hand til smooth for 10 minutes or with dough hook for 5 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for about 10 minutes. (Not sure these instructions are correct. _N) Dough is ready when it is smooth and satiny with a slightly wrinkled texture. Shape dough into ball. Oil bowl. Put in bowl smooth side down. Turn over so top is greased. Cover and allow to rise til almost doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 500.

Punch down dough and turn out onto lightly floured board. Knead about a minute, then divide into 8 equal pieces, rolling them into balls. Roll each into a ten inch round, cover with a cloth and allow to rest 20 minutes. Place a round on a lightly floured baking sheet, testing to see that it will slide off easily. Rub heated baking sheet or griddle with grease, then slide dough onto it. Bake in hot oven for 4-5 minutes until it puffs up like a balloon. To brown top, thrun quickly and bake one minute more.

To use electric frypan; Preheat frypan to highest setting with lid on, vent closed. When heated, oil quickly and slide dough onto base. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, remove lid, turn bread over, re-cover, and cook another 2 minutes.

Topping (for two small breads):

1 T sumac powder
1 T thyme
Olive oil

When bread has cooled, cut the pieces in halves. Cut halves into thirds. Generously brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with sumac mixture. Top with sesame seeds, if desired. Broil til lightly crisped.



NOTE: This is a combination of two recipes. But it should work. Except that it has been ages since I made the flatbread and the instructions look really, really odd to me now, literally years later…