the yeast.)Flatbreads Thin flatbreads were the original
breads, and are still a major source of
nourishment in many countries throughout the
world. The essential characteristic of
flatbreads is that they cook very quickly, in as
little as two minutes, on a simple hot surface,
whether a pan, an oven floor or wall, or a
mass of hot pebbles. The heat is often very
high — pizza ovens can run at 900ºF/450ºC —
and this means that tiny air-pockets in the
dough are puffed up by rapidly vaporizing
steam, essentially leavening the dough
without the necessity of fermentation (though
many flatbreads are made with leavened
doughs). This puffing, and the breads’
thinness, make them tender; and since neither
requires a strong gluten, flatbreads can be
made from all kinds of grains. Despite the
short baking time, the high temperatures
develop a delicious toasted flavor across the