Tag: flatbread
Reinventing The Pinwheel
When you wake up in a holi-daze, still feeling groggy from too much nog, it’s tough to get motivated and cook a proper breakfast. Forget about making a huge production; the right recipe will wake up your taste buds even before your brain can engage. Keep the festivities rolling with big, hearty, and healthy breakfast pinwheels.
The Gift of Good Taste
Want to give your loved ones a gift they won’t find under the tree? There’s nothing better than waking up to the aroma of sautéed onions and garlic wafting from the kitchen, promising something rich and savory is on the way. Layering lightly spiced, herb-flecked vegan breakfast sausage, vibrant kale, and creamy tofu scramble in soft lavash flatbread is a foolproof formula for a happy holiday. It’s a symphony of textures and tastes, contrasting and harmonizing simultaneously, for a deeply satisfying morning meal.
How Do You Roll?
No gathering is complete without at least one picky eater on board, but this highly adaptable, entirely flexible blueprint can accommodate all requests. You can easily customize the filling based on what you have on hand or your guests’ preferences.
- Simplify by doubling up on just meatless sausage, or just tofu scramble.
- Swap the kale for spinach, or omit it entirely if the kids balk at anything green
- Lose the lavash and stuff everything into pita pockets, or better yet, have guests assemble their own.
There’s no shame in using shortcuts like prepared ready-to-eat sausage crumbles or prepared tofu scramble to take some pressure off in the pre-dawn rush, too.
Break The Fast, Not Your Spirit
Don’t let holiday fatigue get you down! Roll up your sleeves, and your lavash, and bring a little cheer back to the breakfast table.
Pletzel, If You Please
Pletzel is not just a drunken misspelling of pretzel, but a Jewish flatbread that falls somewhere between an oversized bialy and chewy focaccia. Some call it an “onion board” for the thick layer of silky sautéed onions baked right into the top, but that doesn’t do proper justice to the combination. Nutty poppy seeds are scattered like sprinkles on a cake, firmly adhered with a generous amount of olive oil, grassy and buttery all at once.
In honor of the 16th annual World Bread Day, I wanted to shine a light on this most humble loaf. It’s an event I would never willingly miss, because bread is not just sustenance; it’s a symbol of culture, tradition, and memories.
Pletzel, also spelled platzel or pletzl and pronounced “pleht-suhl,” might not be as renowned as challah or bagels, but it’s a true gem in Jewish baking history. As a testament to the resourcefulness of Jewish bakers, the dough is made from just the basics: flour, salt, yeast, water, and oil.
The Legacy of Pletzels
The pletzel can be traced back many centuries to Eastern Europe, where Jewish communities adapted their bread recipes out of necessity. It was an everyday staple, as it required fewer ingredients and less time to prepare than more luxurious loaves, like egg-heavy challah. Pletzel quickly became a staple in Jewish households, serving as a versatile companion to any meal.
Pletzels emigrated to the US along with the Polish, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian Jews in the mid-20th century, although they largely faded away as a relic of the past. It’s a rare sight to find them in any bakery or delicatessen outside of their motherland.
A Twist On Tradition
I don’t often have poppy seeds on hand, but I do have an abundance of za’atar. This savory seasoning blend combines oregano, marjoram or thyme, and earthy spices like cumin and coriander with toasted sesame seeds. Intense and pungent, especially with a pinch of tangy sumac, it’s one of those all-purpose mixes that works on just about any dish.
While not complicated by any means, we can still make it simpler and quicker thanks to the modern marvel of prepared pizza dough. Go all out and make your own from scratch, or shave at least an hour off of the process and jump right in; you can still call it homemade if you accept the assist.
Serving Suggestions
Like any other fluffy flatbread, a good pletzel has limitless potential for pairings. It’s a delight enjoyed all by itself, freshly baked and still warm from the oven, or dressed up with a greater meal.
- Serve alongside soup or stew
- Stack on a charcuterie board
- Slice in half and stuff with meatless cold cuts or sandwich spreads
The Daily Bread
In today’s fast-paced world, the pletzel may not be as common on our tables as it once was. However, it’s a bread worth preserving and celebrating. Especially on World Bread Day, there’s never been a better time to remember the importance of preserving our culinary heritage, one slice at a time.
[Not Quite] Silent Sunday: Dal-icious
Yield: Makes 10 Dal Puri Roti
Dal Puri Roti with Tamarind Sauce
"I do not exaggerate when I say this is one of my favorite breads in the world! It’s obviously of Indian origin, but this version is a Trinidad specialty. It works well on it’s own, but if you roll it out thin enough you can then stuff it with various curries and roll it up like a burrito for some Trini heaven.
Culantro is a related to cilantro and similar, yet different enough to seek out. If you have Latin markets in your area, you may be able to find it. It’s also called chado beni in Trinidad.
A tawa is a cast-iron or stainless steel griddle that fits on top of your stove burner (gas or electric.) These are inexpensive, usually made in India, and easily found at Indian or Caribbean markets or online.”
By Chef Philip Gelb of Sound & Savor
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Additional Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
Tamarind Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 4 Green Onions, Diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon African Bird Pepper or Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Palm Sugar or Coconut Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/3 Cup Tamarind Concentrate
Dal Puri Roti Filling:
- 1 14-Ounce Cans Garbanzo Beans
- 1 Habanero Pepper, Seeded and Minced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro
- 1 Bunch Fresh Culantro
Roti Dough:
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- About 1 1/2 Cups Water
- Coconut Oil, to Cook
Instructions
- Prepare the tamarind sauce first. In a skillet, add the coconut oil, green onion, and garlic. Sauté for three minutes, until aromatic. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and pulverize along with the cilantro. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Place all of the ingredients for the filling into a food processor and grind into a rough mash. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, yeast, and salt. Add water and mix together with a spoon until the dough becomes too thick to stir. Use your hands to finish combining the ingredients. Use just enough water to form a ball and knead gently for a few minutes, until smooth. Cover dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for at least 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and then roll into a small circle. Add about 1/10th of the garbanzo mixture and wrap the dough around it, much like you would for a dumpling. Pinch the dough closed, cover once more, and let rest for another hour.
- Place a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and brush liberally with coconut oil. Roll each ball into a flat, thin circle. Place the dough on the skillet and brush the top with more coconut oil. Cook for 1 minute before flipping. Cook for another minute, flip again, and cook for 1 minute longer. Repeat with all the remaining dough.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 265Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 637mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 8g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.