Psssst! New Joy the Baker Podcast ALERT!
Oh my gosh.
I did this thing today. ย I hate when I do this thing.
I did this thing where ย I convince myself that I’m not working hard enough, that I’m missing something, that my hair looks dumb, and I’m wholely unsatisfied.
Do you do this? ย I can’t be alone in this. ย It’s entirely frustrating… isn’t it? ย It’s a temporary funk. ย I have to make it as temporary as possible. ย I mean seriously… how much time am i going to waste wallowing for no reason? ย Silly silly silly. Stop it!
How do I get out of a funk?
I give myself time to make something new.
I make tea. ย I remind myself to be kind… to myself.
Lemons help. ย Carbs work wonders. ย And Tina Fey is always the answer.
Ps. ย I’m fine… I’m totally ย fine. ย I’m just saying… sometimes I randomly beat myself up. ย Pps. ย I’m totes fine.
If you’re afraid of yeasted doughs, I strongly suggest you stare down this flat bread. ย It’s super simple! ย It’s an awesome yeast starting place.
Oh! ย I should tell you now that this bread is pretty healthy. ย It’s full of whole wheat flour and oats, with a bit of salt and pepper. ย It’s a plain bread. ย It’s totally made better with flavorful toppings.
If you wanted to inject some flavor into the bread, I’d suggest a few teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary or tarragon. ย Wonders!
This dough only gets one rise, then it’s rolled out into little circled and cooked on the stove-top like pancakes. ย Super simple!
It’s just bits of bread dough.
It’s like we’re making mini stop top pizza doughs.
Wholesome good things that happen in the kitchen always make me feel good/better/best.
This bread is part of an equation.
Cucumber and yogurt is the other part of the equation.
I love an English (hot house) Cucumber. ย The skin is thinner and not as waxy as regular cucumbers. ย I love to keep the skin on the cucumbers. ย I like to de-seed the little suckers by running a spoon down the center… and I love to slice them as thinly as I can.
Fresh herbs are a must! ย I chose parsley and mint. ย You could swap the fresh mint for just a hint of fresh dill. ย Are you a dill person?
Add some lemon, olive oil, and seasonings and this dish feels like a kitchen classic.
The warm hearty bread combines with the bright, herby dip. ย It’s light, fresh, and makes you feel like you’re at a fancy restaurant after a Swedish massage… even though you’re really just watching Most Eligible Dallas on your couch. ย Whatevs. ย I feel better.
Ps. ย I find that it’s even more luxurious to enjoy this dip and bread with smoked salmon, French rose and a dear friend.
This is how we live.
Whole Wheat Flat Bread
makes 12 small flat breads
adapted from Food Network
3/4 cup warm water, about 95 degrees F
1 package (about 2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons uncooked old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup warm water, yeast and sugar. ย Set aside for 5 minutes. ย Mixture will grow and foam and that’s how you know the yeast is active and alive.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, salt and pepper. ย Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture. ย Add the remaining 1/2 cup of water. ย Bring mixture together with a fork, until all of the flour bits are moistened, and the dough is shaggy. ย Dump out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times to bring together.
Coat the medium bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil and place dough ball in bowl. ย Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. ย Dough will double in size.
When dough has rested and risen, dump out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few turns. ย Use a knife to divide the dough in half, then divide each half into six equal pieces.
Heat a non stick pan (I used my cast iron) over medium heat.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece into a roughly 4 to 5-inch circle. ย Place dough round in the ungreased, hot pan. ย Cook on one side for 1 to 2 minutes, until browned on the bottom and slightly puffed. ย Flip and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes. ย Remove from pan and serve warm with HerbYogurt Cucumber Dip.
Bread can also be cooled and refrigerated for up to three days. ย I like to reheat my flat breads in a warm skillet before serving.
Herbย Yogurt Cucumber Dip
makes about 3 cups
adapted from Food and Wine
1 (16-ounce) container Greek yogurt*
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers, de-seeded
2 small garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest
about 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
*If you can not find thick Greek yogurt, you can use plain yogurt as well. ย Simple line a fine mesh strainer, twice, ย with cheese cloth and add yogurt. ย Place strainer over a bowl and let rest in the fridge for 4 hours. ย Some water will be strained from the yogurt. ย After 4 hours, use the yogurt as follows:
Toss yogurt together with thinly sliced cucumbers, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley and mint. ย Taste and season accordingly with more salt, pepper, or lemon. ย Allow to chill in the fridge for 2 hours before serving. ย This will help the flavors meld. ย Serve cold with warm flat bread.
Cucumber dip will last, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. ย Just stir well before serving.
166 Responses
I like Pip’s comment! I hate those days too, the dip looks so fancy can’t wait to try this one out, and get out of my funk!
joy! i’m such a fan. love your site and the podcast. this looks so good. i recently tried to make naan in the oven and it turned out tough and dry. this looks super yummy with the oats and whole wheat flour. i don’t have a nonstick pan though (i’m also a california girl, but i’m living in europe as a nanny and i’m at the disposal of the host family kitchen). do you recommend trying it on the stovetop with a bit of butter or olive oil or attempting to bake them up in the oven like i tried with the naan? thanks for a great site and much love to you!
i think that stove top is the way to go with this bread. butter or olive oil will do too. best of luck and happy nanny-ing!
You can make thick Greek yogurt easily. Heat milk to around 180 don’t boil. Take off heat and cool down to around 110 degrees. Add a spoonful of plain yogurt and mix up. I set my batch on a heating pad to keep warm for a few hours until it firms up. THEN-line a colander/strainer with coffee filters and strain the yogurt for a while, lots of whey will be in the bottom and the more it’s strained the thicker it gets. It’s tart at first, then mellows out in a day or two. Refridgerate after it’s drained and thickened up. It’s cheaper than buying at the store and you can use any type of milk-nonfat, low or regular fat milk. A gallon makes about 1 1/2 quarts.
Your “eight very good ideas” post today inspired me to make this flatbread to go with our Indian-spiced lentils/veggies tonight. It went perfectly. Getting out the yeast and flour also inspired to me to bake bread tonight — something I haven’t done in over 2 months because I’ve been to busy/exhausted/lazy/surrounded by moving boxes to thing about it. Very therapeutic. Thank you!
your โeight very good ideasโ post today inspired me to make this flatbread to go with our indian-spiced lentils/veggies tonight. it went perfectly. getting out the yeast and flour also inspired to me to bake bread tonight โ something i havenโt done in over 2 months because iโve been too busy/exhausted/lazy/surrounded by moving boxes to thing about it. very therapeutic. thank you!