Puffy Flatbread

I don't know about yours, but our Valentine's day was HOT! 🔥We spent the afternoon standing in front of a 2000 degree kiln!   😂😉  It was an afternoon of melting, pulling, twisting, shaping, rolling and smooshing ... glass.  If you ever get the chance to take a lesson in glass blowing - I highly recommend it.  It was fascinating.  

Before the class, I was apprehensive about my ability to working with molten hot glass, but I found the glass blowing process to be oddly therapeutic.  It's definitely more of an artistic outlet for creativity than baking.  I can see why people really enjoy working with glass and I developed a real appreciation for it after giving it a try for myself.  The Valentine glass hearts that we made last Sunday turned out perfectly imperfect.  

I know, it's an oxymoron but it accurately describes our creations.  Kind of like the oxymoron - puffy flatbread.  What's the point of making a flatbread if it's going to be puffy? 😅 Maybe I should rename it, puffy bread.  💁🏻‍♀️ Anyway, this flatbread is puffy, light, bubbly and super delicious.  

Puffy Flatbread
4 cups bread flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 cups room temperature water
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Combine flour, sugar and yeast in bowl of stand mixer. 

With mixer running, gradually add water and 2 T. oil. Mix on low 5 minutes.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest 20 minutes. 

Sprinkle salt over dough and mix on low 5-7 minutes.

Grease a bowl with 1 T. oil.  Transfer dough to prepared bowl.  

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour.  

Transfer bowl to refrigerator and cold proof 24-48 hours.  

Divide dough into 4 pieces.

On a floured countertop, shape each ball into a 1/2" disk.  Transfer to silpat lined baking sheet. 

Spray with cooking spray.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. 

Press each ball into a 1/2" thick disk on a floured countertop.  

Return disks to silpat lined baking sheets.  Mist with cooking spray. 

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour. 

Heat baking stone on the grill or a 500 degree oven.  Dust with cornmeal.  

Gently transfer one disk at a time to the hot pizza stone.  

Bake until dough is puffed and transfer to a wire rack using a pizza peel. 

Lightly brush the tops of the bread with oil if you like.  ​

I cooked my puffy bread on a pizza stone in my Big Green Egg but you could easily do it in your oven too.  

Obviously, you have to plan ahead when you make this recipe.  It doesn't require a lot of "hands on" time, but you'll have to factor in at least 30 hours to get the right amount of air into this dough to make it "puffy".  I think that you'll agree that it's worth the time.  

Ciao!

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