Wheat Flatbreads

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Let's make the dough for these dairy-free flatbreads. It won't be too stiff, so the flatbreads won't crack after they're cooked on a dry skillet. The key is to stick to the proportions. Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the salt with a spoon.

2. Step 2:

   

   Pour in the refined vegetable oil.

3. Step 3:

   

   Stir the flour and oil together with a spoon. Pour in hot water at about 120–140°F (50–60°C). If you have no way to check the temperature, just bring the water to a boil and let it cool for 3 minutes.

4. Step 4:

   

   Start stirring everything together with a spoon.

5. Step 5:

   

   Once the mixture thickens, turn the dough out onto the counter and knead it by hand. Dust the counter with a little flour if you need to. Don't knead it long — water-based dough, unlike yeast dough, doesn't like extended contact with your hands. All told, mixing the dough from scratch takes about 5 minutes. Shape it into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

6. Step 6:

   

   Divide the rested dough into 6 pieces. Take one piece and roll it out thin with a rolling pin into a flatbread. If you can't get a neat round, lay a plate of the right size on top and trim the edges. Shape the trimmings into flatbreads too — I got 2 more that way. All together (trimmings included), you'll end up with 7–8 thin flatbreads.

7. Step 7:

   

   Cook the flatbreads one at a time on a dry, preheated skillet over medium heat, about 30 seconds per side. Don't overcook them, or they'll dry out and crack when you fold them. Put each finished flatbread straight into a plastic bag to keep it soft.