Receta Cheese and onion stuffed flatbreads
So I decided to tackle dough again! However this time I totally cheated and went for flatbreads, which don’t contain any yeast – it’s only ever the yeast that freaks me out! A little bit of kneading, I can handle… in fact I find it quite therapeutic, though obviously I’m not picturing anyone’s face or anything, oh no.
No no no.
These cheese and onion stuffed flatbreads were really, really easy to make – even for someone like me who’s generally quite averse to baking. There’s no risk of them not rising (because they don’t need to!), no risk of them deflating as soon as you take them out of the oven (they’re cooked in a pan on the hob!), and they’re pretty much just completely foolproof (which is good because I can be a bit of a fool).
Seriously – you know when you see people on TV rolling out dough, and flipping it over to roll it some more, and it all goes well? They don’t put their finger through it, it doesn’t stick to the worktop, it doesn’t shrink back on itself with every roll, and it just all somehow goes to plan? That’s what these are like! Honestly, I felt like a superstar (I was actually a bit upset that nobody was around to see it). The dough rolled out reeeeally nice and thin with barely any effort. Oh, and did I mention the dough only has three ingredients (plus a bit of s + p)? It’s awesome. When it’s cooked it actually ends up almost pastry-like in texture – quite dense and chewy, rather than a light and fluffy bread. But it’s amazing all the same!
Don’t worry if your dough doesn’t roll out into perfect circles – by the time you’re tearing these babies apart, you won’t care if they’re perfectly neat or not. Just tell everyone you were going for ‘rustic’, and all will be well.
If you’re not feeling the cheese and onion vibe I’ve gone for here, you could stuff them with something different. You could even make these stuffed flatbreads into a full meal by choosing a more substantial filling – curried chickpeas, samosa-style potatoes, roasted veg… as long as you don’t go overboard so you’re still able to press everything fairly flat, it should work just fine.
However way you do it, serve up these stuffed flatbreads to your family and they’ll be gone in the blink of an eye!
Cheese and onion stuffed flatbreads Prep time 1 hour 40 mins Total time 1 hour 55 mins Ingredients
300g plain flour (~2 cups), plus more for dusting 1tbsp olive oil Salt Black pepper ~150ml water (~2/3 cup) 150g cheddar cheese, grated 5 spring onions, sliced 2tbsp oil 2tbsp butter Instructions
Add the flour, olive oil and salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl. Gradually adding the water, knead the mixture with clean hands until it comes together into a dough. The dough should be moist but not overly sticky, so you may not need all of the water (or you may need a dash more!). Continue to knead for a few more minutes, until the dough is fairly elastic. Place the ball of dough into a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rest for 1 hour. After an hour, divide the dough into six equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the balls into a rough oval or circle shape (don't worry if it's a bit irregular!). On one half of the circle, add a bit of the cheese and a few of the sliced spring onions (one sixth of each), leaving a small gap around the edge. Fold over the other half of the circle, and press down to remove as much of the air as possible. Seal around the edge with a fork (I also flipped mine over and used the fork on the other side as well to make sure it was well sealed). Again, press the flatbread down so that it's really flat with no air inside. Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings. Add a little of the fat (I used a mixture of oil and butter) to a large frying pan, and allow it to heat up. When it's just sizzling, add your flatbreads (I did two at a time). Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes each side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper while you cook the other flatbreads. Serve warm. 3.2.2807