Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)

Happy Monday! Second Monday of the month, know what that means? Secret Recipe Club time!

This month I was assigned to a blog that was new to me, and I couldn't be happier about it. Rachel Cotterill is an amazing blogger. She is a writer (like, actual published author!), a photographer, a PhD student, and an all-around amazingly impressive person. Seriously, check out her blog - her travels, her adventures - she is amazing.

I was seriously torn about what to make this month. I really wanted to try her squash and chickpea stew, and have been craving scones since seeing her recipe. But I was totally intrigued by her post about Turkish Flatbread, and just knew I had to try it.

The ingredients themselves are not what are intriguing - it's a pretty basic bread recipe: flour, salt, yeast and water.  But what's intriguing is how the bread is cooked. The bread is not baked in the oven like most yeasted breads, - it is cooked on a pan on the stove, more like tortillas. I had to give it a shot.

The dough comes together super easily.

I did all of the kneading by hand, which I love. There's nothing quite like getting a real feel for your dough. And when it really starts to come together and smooth out, when you're kneading by hand, you know it right away. I love that.

Then the dough rests - and rises!

Shaping this "loaf" is a simple matter of rolling the risen dough into a ball, then rolling it out to about an inch thick. I tried to roll it to approximately the size of the pan I would be using.

And then you cook!

Five minutes on each side to get things started, then a few minutes more on each side, flipping regularly, until it's golden brown on each side and sounds hollow when tapped.

I think I had my heat up a bit too high, so my bread cooked pretty quickly, but it wasn't a problem.

I served this bread as a side with dinner, cutting it to be almost like bread sticks. Some of us buttered our pieces, but the bread tasted delicious even on its own.

And the next day, I found myself dipping the leftover breadstick pieces in hummus for an afternoon snack - yum!

Rachel, thank you so much for your beautiful blog and your delicious inspiration. I look forward to making lots more of your recipes and to following along with your future adventures.

Bazlama, Turkish Bread
(from Rachel Cotterill)

Makes 1 large loaf

350g (12oz, 2 cups) plain flour
1tsp salt
10g (1tbsp) instant dried yeast
200ml (7fl.oz) lukewarm water

Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast.
Gradually add in the warm water, mixing with your fingers, ensuring that no dry patches of flour remain. As with any bread, the exact amount of water required will depend on the humidity, so pour slowly, and be prepared to add more as required.
Knead the bread for five minutes, until the dough is smooth and flexible.
Set the dough in a lightly oiled bowl (turning to coat all sides), cover with plastic wrap, and set to rise in a warm place for about half an hour.
Gently deflate the dough, give it a gently knead, and form it into a smooth ball.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the ball out to about an inch thick, trying to keep the thickness as even as possible. The bread should be about the size of a dinner plate.
Warm a dry frying pan over a medium heat (do not add any spray or oil!), and place the bread onto the pan.
Cook for about five minutes on each side to begin with, then continue to turn regularly until both sides are golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped. Be patient - it could take up to about 20 minutes total, and be sure to keep an eye on it as it cooks.

Enjoy!

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