I was so proud to be able to stretch the dough thin, almost see through thin. Then I folded the sides inwards just like the pictures at Lien's show you.
Right from the get go I can tell you that it was so much easier than I thought! What a dork am I to let my fear hold me back. Then again, this being a flatbread... this flatbread did exactly what all flatbreads do to me:they puff.
At that point they already started to look puffy. Touching the hot surface of the pan (I used a crepe pan) up up they went. Barely touching the surface they tiptoed through their baking time. The result was a delicious smell, a lovely outer crunch but still doughy -undercooked- inside.
Please tell me; what am I doing wrong? I can think of several things:
- I used bread flour and a mix of amaranth/quinoa --> too elastic, too bready?
- Too impatient? A hot pan and thus short cooking time?
- Not thin enough? I really did my best to stretch the dough real real thin but when folding up again I got a thickness back.
I took really reallly horrible pictures (here's looking at my fellow Babes with their master pictures. Yes you! All of you! I am crying over my ugly but lovely Rgaïf with a dollop of hummus)
One of the pictures perfectly shows my thought process...
fold in quarters... hmm not going anywhere, puffing up and undercooked
fold in quarters then stretched again... terribly out of shape and still puffing and undercooking
unfold in half with a little butter in the pan... mwah
try again... half fold... bare pan... mwah
try again... bare pan.. stretched some more... doesn't look nice
hey.. let's try some very finely sliced spring onions in it....munches half.. nice! Doesn't look good but nice!
Oh bother... ugly words... flap it in the pan as is. Unfolded and deeply stretched... woohaa.. not nice but cooked!
Sheesh.
I better test another one with the hummus I made. A very nice one I might add. (Humus not Rgaif).
Lien, I'm coming over to your place and please teach me how to do this?!
How on earth can you say that those are ugly?! I think they all look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWell done, conquering your fear. (No holes indeed. Pffft. Even with holes the bread puffs up.)
Happy anniversary!!
Are you kidding me!? yours look like mine. These aren't sophisticated breads. They're fast everyday things. And yes I spent way more time in the worry zone than these warranted.
ReplyDeleteI think lower heat and longer time after flattening again before going into the pan did the best for me.
Happy anniversary!
I think your Rgaif look great! My first few attempts were too thick and a little doughy on the inside too so on subsequent attempts, I flattened the squares after folding to thin them out. That seemed to work a little better.
ReplyDeleteI really think your flatbreads look good. These flatbreads are really about taste than they are about looks, which is how it should be, I think. :)
ReplyDeleteAs Tanna suggested, I think stretching them a little thinner after folding, and cooking over low to medium heat should ensure they cook through.
Yours look beautitul! I'm so glad to see everyone's experiences before I give it a try.
ReplyDeleteYou can come over anytime, but yours look exactly like mine. After seeing and hearing so many tips (and completely different recipes being baked) I think this may not be the ultimate Rgaïf recipe. Ah well you win some you loose some :)
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