Cheesy Anytime Flatbreads
Fresh, cheesy, perfect.
It’s a rare occasion to have a day off in the middle of the week. Even rarer to have no plans for that day, except gym and a late lunch. Oh, and a buy olive oil. We always run out of olive oil, especially in the summer, when each and every recipe seems to be asking for “a drizzle at the end”.
No urgent schedule also means a leisurely breakfast can be had. One with coffee and tea and fruit and something fresh out of the oven. Or the frying pan, as it were. I took inspiration from Smitten Kitchen’s Castle Breakfast and decided to have this happen on a Thursday, of all days.
These cheesy flatbreads are good for any time of day, really. It’s essentially stuffed enriched pizza dough. They’re gooey and warm (and reheat well in a toaster) and, in my humble opinion, can only be improved by a slather of butter and a few drops of honey. But don’t let me tell you what to do with your breakfast carbs, serve them any way you like.
Should you not be an early bird like me, and as this dough requires proofing for one hour, you could make it the night before and let it rise slowly in the fridge. In the morning you’ll just stuff it quickly and fry the flatbreads in a hot pan. They’re addictive. You’ve been warned.
Ingredients (makes 8x 10 cm diameter flatbreads, feel free to double it for a crowd)
Time: 1h 30
500g flour
1 tsp salt
7g instant dry yeast or 20g fresh baker’s yeast
1 tsp sugar
200ml milk, warm
35ml olive oil
2 eggs
200g grated cheese (make sure it’s a good melter, I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and yeast. Make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl beat the 2 eggs, warm milk (careful, not hot!) and olive oil. Pour this mixture in the well you’ve created and start mixing slowly with a wooden spoon. When a dough forms it’s time to get your hands dirty and knead. Do so for a few minutes until the dough becomes elastic and the gluten develops. You can, of course, do this in a stand mixer with the dough attachment. Knead well for 1-2 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise for an hour in a warm place (I like to use the turned off oven). Alternatively you can let it rise overnight in the fridge. Bring back to room temperature in the morning.
When the dough has doubled in size (after about one hour) knock the air out and shape it.
Cut it into 8 equal pieces.
Flatten each piece with your hands and add a generous amount of cheese in the middle.
Bring in the sides and shape it like a dumpling.
Flatten the dough again with a rolling pin into a disc about 1 cm thick.
Fry each flatbread in a hot dry pan, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately. Debate the merits of winning the lottery and having these every morning instead of working.
These would work marvellously well with feta cheese in the filling, a herby cream cheese or really, whatever takes your fancy. Maybe try them with Nutella and let me know how that goes. Go wild and remember, we all deserve a Castle Breakfast every now and again, even on a weekday.
Let me know if you make it and subscribe for more scrumptious recipes!
