Cascading Kitchen notes:

While the rest of the meal is being prepared in the kitchen, set up the family outside on the barbecue and cook this lovely, steamy flatbread timed to arrive at the table, hot.

With a bucket of this dough in the fridge you are always about 5 minutes away from hot, steamy bread!

Lebanese Flat Bread in a Bucket

This is a wet dough and works best if made using a kitchen aide or other sturdy bread mixer.  Plan to make it the day before baking so it can slow proof in the refer overnight.

Stir together in a mixer bowl:

• 6 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ cup white flour
• 1 tsp sea salt

Combine in a separate bowl:

• 2 cups slightly warm/tepid water (if the water is too hot you’ll kill the yeast)
• 1 ½ Tb yeast
• 1 tsp sugar

Allow the yeast mixture to begin to bubble slightly.  This takes about 10 min.

Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and knead for 1 min.

If the flour looks dry, add up to a ½ cup of water.  Don’t be afraid to add a little more water if needed.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes so it can hydrate.  All of those little glutens get nice and sticky and start holding hands.  This hydration time is necessary to give the dough good structure.

Turn on the dough hook and knead for  another 10 minutes.

Turn the dough out into an large oiled bowl or bucket with a lid. (I double this recipe and use a 5 gal bucket from Cash and Carry) It will last about 6 days in the refrigerator.

Place in the refrigerator overnight to cold proof the dough.  This slower proofing in a cold environment helps develop the wheat’s full flavor.

The next day you can make flat bread.  Directions:

• Remove 1/3 cup proofed dough per flat bread.
• Put the rest of the dough back in the refrigerator.
• Allow the dough you’ve removed to warm up for at least two hours before shaping.
• Roll out into a disk about  ¼ inch thick
• Brush w/ oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
• Grill in a basket on top of the bbq for 3 min. on the first side. I set our bbq to high and then back the heat down just a tiny bit before cooking the dough.  (If you’re using an oven and a baking stone the oven should start at 500 degrees. You won’t have to turn the bread over if you’re baking on a stone. Bake for 3 min. total in the oven.) 
• Turn over and cook another 2 minutes.  Check to see if it’s done.  Place the cooked flatbread in a basket lined with a towel. This helps the bread separate a bit for the pocket to develop.

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