6

80 GOURMET TRAVELLER

500gm stone-ground wholemeal

flour (see note)

½ tsp caster sugar

¼ tsp dried yeast

Fine semolina, for dusting

1 Combine flour, sugar, yeast, ½ tsp

salt and 400ml room-temperature

water in an electric mixer fitted with

a dough hook. Knead on medium

speed until dough comes together,

looks smooth and feels elastic and

resistant when pinched (5 minutes;

dough will still be quite wet). Cover

with a damp tea towel and rest

at room temperature for at least

30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

2 Divide dough into 65gm balls and

keep under a damp tea towel.Heat

a saj (see note) to medium-high heat.

On a lightly floured surface and with

floured hands, flatten one ball, then

roll it out into a circle with a rolling

KHOBZ MARQUQ

Salwa Moubarak’s Lebanese atbread

MAKES ABOUT 15 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 15 MINS (PLUS PROVING

Salwa’s flatbread

with slow-roasted

brisket, labne and

pickles at Gerard’s

Bistro. Left: Moubarak

prepares and cooks

her flatbread.

pin. Pick up the bread and turn

it from one hand to the other,

gently stretching it out, until 1-2mm

thick and about 30cm in diameter.

Working quickly, lay the flatbread

across the centre of the saj and

cook until golden on the base and

bubbles are forming on the surface

(30 seconds), then turn to cook the

other side (30 seconds). Transfer

to a plate and cover with a tea

towel while you roll out and cook

the remaining breads. Serve warm

or at room temperature.

NoteStone-ground wholemeal flour

is available from select grocers and

health-food shops. Moubarak uses

a saj, a domed cast-iron pan, to cook

her flatbread. If you don’t have a saj,

she recommends an upturned wok

heated over gas, a cast-iron pan, or

a crêpe pan, but the bread may take

longer to cook and have less char.●

MOUBARAK’S ESSENTIAL

FLATBREAD TIPS

• Knead with love.


• Practice makes perfect. The more you
  play with flours and kneading and resting
  times, the more you’ll understand the
  final product.


• Fresh flour will give a better result.


• Humidity will affect the dough, as
  will changes in temperature. Adjust
  the consistency of the dough based
  on how the dough feels after mixing.
  It takes some practice, but generally if
  it feels too sticky, add a little more flour;
  if it’s too dry, add a splash of water.


• Leftover flatbreads will keep frozen laid
  flat in snap-lock bags. If you’re freezing
  just a few, fold them into triangles first
  to stop them cracking. Reheat frozen
  flatbreads by microwaving them on high
  in 15-second bursts until warm.