Laffa Bread

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.25 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for cooking
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt for finishing

Instructions

1. 1

   Pour 0.75 cup of warm water (around 110°F — warm to the touch but not hot) into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle 0.5 teaspoon of instant yeast over the water and let it sit for 30 seconds, then stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand for 3-4 minutes until foamy — you should see a gentle layer of bubbles forming on the surface, which signals the yeast is alive and active.

2. 2

   Add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and 1.25 teaspoons of fine sea salt to the yeast mixture. Stir to combine.

3. 3

   Measure out 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour and add it to the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hand until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains — it should look a bit rough and unsightly, not smooth yet.

4. 4

   Turn the dough onto an unfloured work surface. Knead for 8-10 minutes, using the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat. The dough is ready when it becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but no longer sticky — it should spring back slowly when you poke it with your finger.

5. 5

   Lightly oil a medium bowl and transfer the dough into it, rolling it around to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set it in a warm, draft-free spot (such as an unlit oven or turned-off microwave). Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1.5 to 2 hours. You'll know it's ready when your finger poked into the dough leaves an indent that doesn't spring back immediately.

6. 6

   Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Let the balls rest for 5 minutes under a damp towel — this relaxes the gluten so they'll be easier to shape.

7. 7

   Take one dough ball and, on a lightly floured surface, gently press it into a disc with your fingertips. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a thin rectangle about 6 × 8 inches and roughly 1/8-inch thick — the dough should be thin enough to see light through it. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, stacking the rolled dough between parchment paper as you go.

8. 8

   Set a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed griddle over medium-high heat. Let it preheat for 2-3 minutes until it's very hot — a drop of water should dance and evaporate on contact.

9. 9

   Carefully lay one rolled dough onto the hot skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes without moving it — you'll hear a steady, gentle sizzle. The bottom should develop light golden-brown spots and begin to puff slightly. Flip using a fish spatula and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes until it also turns golden-brown and the bread puffs up further, creating a cushion of air inside.

10. 10

    Transfer the cooked laffa bread to a clean kitchen towel and fold the towel loosely over it to keep it warm and soft. Repeat step 4 with each remaining piece of dough, stacking the finished breads in the towel. The residual heat and steam will keep them tender.

11. 11

    While the bread is still warm, brush or drizzle the top of each laffa lightly with 0.5 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of coarse sea salt. Serve immediately — laffa is best eaten hot and soft. It's wonderful on its own, with za'atar mixed into olive oil for dipping, with labneh (creamy Middle Eastern yogurt), or wrapped around grilled vegetables and hummus.

Tools you’ll need

• large mixing bowl
• wooden spoon
• work surface
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• damp kitchen towel
• rolling pin
• parchment paper
• 12-inch cast iron skillet
• fish spatula
• instant-read thermometer (optional)

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