Lebanese flat-bread with Zaatar

I usually just can't follow a recipe. I always feel the need for putting a personal twist on to it. But there is one source I would always trust when it comes to making bread.

This Lebanese flat-bread recipe comes from a blog called Papilles & Pupilles, which means 'buds and pupils', because you also eat food with your eyes, one of my favourite French cooking blog.
Anne from Papilles & Pupilles is a famous French blogger who is particularly talented for making bread. I am very happy to share this recipe with you beyond the French borders.

These Lebanese breads are very easy to make and deliciously soft and the Zaatar* brings beautiful middle-eastern flavours. The Zaatar is a traditional Lebanese mix of  spices and herbs, which includes oregano, thyme, sumac and sesame. If you can't find it in the shops, it easy to make yourself. The porportions vary from one region to another one in Lebanon, so just make it to suit your taste.

They are perfect to dip into freshly made hummus or to compliment lamb or any other middle-eastern flavoured meat on the barbecue.

My 4 years-old helped me making these, so when I say they are easy, I mean easy. A nice mum and son bonding time. For few minutes, dinosaurs were left out of the kitchen, for the greatest joy of my sensible ears.

Ingredients (4 breads)

For the bread:

- 300 g flour
- 90 ml milk*
- 90 ml water*
- 1 tsp yeast
- 1 tsp salt

For the topping:

- 2 tbsp zaatar*
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions (~ 2 hours)

These bread can be made with either a bread maker or a food mixer/processor. I used my Kenwood FP980, although it is not the ideal model for kneading the dough, it works well.

1. Mix the flour and the salt together.*

2. Add the yeast and the liquids.*

3. Knead until the dough is soft and elastic when you stretch it.

4. Let rise in a bowl covered with a clean cloth, protecting from airflow, until the volume has double - takes about 90 mins.
Pre-heat the oven, fan bake at 230C. Put a tray in the centre of the oven.

5. Expel the air or bubbles that were formed in the dough during the fermentation of the yeast and split the dough in four equal portions.

6. For each portion, stretch the dough once, fold in three and form a ball. Rest for 10 mins.

7. Mix all the topping ingredients.

8. Roll every dough ball to form 12-cm diameter disks.

9. Brush the flattened bread with the topping preparation

10. Bake each bread for 7-8 mins.*

Tips

* When I make bread I always use slightly warm liquids to boost the yeast power.

* Zaatar is a traditional Lebanese mix of  spices and herbs, which includes oregano, thyme, sumac and sesame. The mix proportion vary from one region to another one. I made my own mix following these proportions: 1/2 tbsp oregano, 1/2 tbsp thyme, 3/4 tbsp sesame, 1 tsp sumac.

* When making bread, never put the salt and the yeast in contact  with each other as the salt would annihilate the yeast effect. 

* When I make bread, I always boost yeast action by using slightly warm liquids and I let the yeast activating in 4 tbsp of liquid (out of the total quantity required) for few minutes before I add it to the flour.

* I baked them two-by-two.