February Daring Bakers' Challenge - Crisp Flatbreads

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry that I have been so quiet this past week. And I can't even believe that it's the end of the month already! But, the best part of the end of the month is that I get to share the results of another Daring Bakers' Challenge!

Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie was our February 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to use our creativity in making our own Crisp Flatbreads and Crackers!

When I first read the challenge, I had to laugh. Because we had just announced the February Sourdough Surprises challenge, which, if you saw my last post, was flatbreads! A very flatbread-y month! It also reminded me a lot of the Daring Bakers' Challenge from last July, when we made crackers.

The mandatory aspect of this challenge was to prepare a crisp flatbread, but other than that, we were given complete freedom.  I didn't want to make anything too similar to last summer's crackers, so I decided to try, well, a basic crisp flatbread.  I found a basic recipe over at smitten kitchen, which I then adapted to the specific flavor that I had in mind. Rather than a savory, herbed flatread, I wanted to go for a sweet crisp.

As is usually the case these days, little man was very excited to help me.

The dough for this flatbread was simple, being a combination of flour, baking powder, salt, water, oil, and whatever spices you choose. For me, that was cinnamon and sugar.

Once the dough was prepared, I rolled it out, brushed on a bit of melted butter substitute (I kept these dairy free for little man) and sprinkled on a bit more cinnamon sugar.

I don't think that I rolled the dough quite thin enough, as the resulting flatbreads were not as crisp throughout as I'd expected, but they were delicious. They did have a crisp crust and a good flavor, they just weren't as cracker-like as I'd expected.

But I wasn't quite done. I wanted to try a different kind of cinnamon-sugar crisp, as well.  So I prepared another batch of sourdough tortillas and turned them into tortilla chips.  I simply cut the tortillas into wedges, sprayed a foil-covered pan with non-stick cooking spray, spread out the tortilla wedges, a little more spray, then a healthy sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

12 minutes in the oven, flipping the pieces over halfway through, and they were done!

Okay, so they didn't look much different, but they were completely crisp and deliciously sweet.

I served both chips, side by side, with some fruit salsa.

It was a unanimous decision in our house - the tortilla chips were definitely our favorite, but I definitely want to play around with crispy flatbreads and absolutely plan on making them, in a variety of flavors, more often.

To see the delicious recipes that Sarah provided us this month, you can check them out here.

And to see the other amazing flatbreads prepared in the kitchen this month, you can check them out here.


Cinnamon-Sugar Flatbread
(adapted from smitten kitchen)


1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon melted butter (I used butter substitute)
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (to taste)

Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.
Stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.
Divide dough into 4 pieces and roll out 1 piece at a time (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 8-10 inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).
Lightly brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Slide rounds (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool.
Break into pieces.
Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.


Cinnamon-Sugar Tortilla Chips
(my own method)

5-6 tortillas (I used these sourdough tortillas)
non-stick cooking spray
cinnamon sugar (to taste - but be generous!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
Cut the tortillas into wedges and spread them in as even a layer as you can on the prepared baking sheet.
Spray the tops of the tortilla wedges with a bit more cooking spray.
Sprinkle the tortilla pieces with cinnamon sugar.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 6-7 minutes. Take out the tray and flip over all of the pieces. Sprinkle the other side with a bit more cinnamon sugar and return them to the oven for an additional 6 minutes.

Enjoy!

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