[Photographs: Elizabeth Barbone]
If you're in the mood for bread but it's too hot to turn on the oven, then I've got the perfect recipe for you. Hearty but delicate, this flatbread goes well with whatever lands on your summer table, from barbecue to the simplest garden salad.
Leavened with baking powder rather than yeast, a batch takes under thirty minutes to make. You simply whisk together a flavorful gluten-free flour (like sorghum, teff, or quinoa), tapioca starch, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Stir in an egg, olive oil, and water, and the dough is ready for a hot skillet.
And it's worth noting that a hot pan is key. When baked in a lightly smoking cast iron skillet, the delicate flat bread puffs up and develops a crisp outside, dotted with little dark brown blisters all over the surface.*
*If necessary, you can use a nonstick frying pan instead; since nonstick pans can't be heated as hot as a cast iron, the finished flatbread won't have lovely dark spots, but it'll still be delicate and tasty.
You can change up the flavor by trying out different flours, or feel free to experiment with seasonings; sometimes I like to add a generous sprinkle of chopped herbs, or sautéed garlic or onions to the dough before baking. Other times, I take the bread in a sweet direction—a tablespoon or two of granulated sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon make the flatbreads a perfect base for a fruit dessert. Take a warm flatbread, top it with a spoonful of warm fruit compote and a dollop of whipped cream and you're all set!
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Gluten-Free Skillet Flatbread »
About the author: Elizabeth Barbone of GlutenFreeBaking.com joins us every Tuesday with a new gluten-free recipe. She is the author of Easy Gluten-Free Baking. and "How to Cook Gluten-Free".
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