As you may have noticed, I am often swayed by the recipes of my blogging friends. And this time is no different, because I fell for Sawsan of Chef in Disguise’s Fteer falahi (Cheese and anise flat bread). I had feta at home and fresh basil, so I thought I would use them (plus JT is not a huge anise fan). I had a little extra pot of the Titanic Pâté for our Sunday dinner with nephew Brian and the flat bread went very well with it.
I made only half the recipe Sawsan made because we are not huge bread eaters, and it made a lot of dough, so I froze half as raw dough and will be using it in the future. I liked the over all texture, but I did make a mistake, I didn’t brush it with oil at every fold (trying to keep the calories down). It turned out a little harder and not as chewy as I had hoped, but the flavour was certainly there. When I make the frozen batch, I will be certain to use the oil that Sawsan’s recipe recommended. As well, Sawsan recommended that I leave my dough a little thicker so it’s chewier. I can see this recipe being used for many a dips in the near future. Thank you Sawsan, you have inspired me yet again.
Fteer
Makes 2 12″ flat bread squares
Ingredients:
- 0.5 kg all purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I left this as the full recipe, JT said my bread was not salty enough!)
- water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups of sheeps milk feta cut into small 1 cm cubes
- 1/4 cup of chiffonade of basil
Directions:
- In a 1/8 cup of warm water dissolve the yeast and sugar (make sure your yeast is alive!)
- Sift the flour and salt into your large stand mixer bowl, add the yeast/water mixture and start kneading adding water gradually till you get a soft sticky dough consistency (I added a little over 1 cup of water but the amount varies with the type of flour)
- Machine knead the dough for 5-7 minutes, allow to rest , covered in a warm place for half an hour (I kneaded 7 minutes).
- Preheat your oven to 270°C or the highest temperature it will go.
- Gently combine the vegetable oil and olive oil and keep it next to your working area.
- Wet your hands with a little oil and cut the dough into 4 balls , brush each ball in the oil mixture and allow to rest for another 10-15 minutes. (don’t skimp on the oil)
- Brush your working surface with a little oil, start with the first dough ball you cut and spread it into a circle roughly 25 cm or 10 inches in diameter. Sawsan has some great photos on how to fold the dough, please visit her post here.
- Spread your filling onto the pressed dough and begin folding, much like a croissant dough, folding the left third over the centre, then the right over the centre, then the bottom fold up one third and finally fold the top down one third. You should have a nice folded smallish square. Allow this one to rest while you start working on the next one.
- When you have finished all of the dough balls, go back to the first square and brush it with oil and spread it into a larger square using a rolling-pin or your hands. Then do the same with the rest.
- I like using my cast iron pizza pan for this type of bread and I always pre heat it. using a rolling pin, roll up the dough and carefully roll out to the heated pizza pan. Drizzle more oil on it.
- Bake on the middle rack of your oven. Sawsan cautions to watch it carefully as it will burn very quickly.
Thanks again, Sawsan, this one will have a repeat performance in our repertoire, it is indeed a very easy flat bread to make. Next time, I shall substitute some of the white flour for whole wheat, just because 😉
[…] may recall that I posted Sawsan’s recipe a while ago for feta and basil flat bread, but frankly my omission of the olive oil did not do it justice, at all. I had frozen about half […]
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Great recipe Eva! Love how you’ve made baking flatbread from scratch seem so easy! The sheep’s milk feta sounds delicious!
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The bread was quite easy to make, and it was quite tasty. If you’re a first timer, I’d definitely give it a go, but make sure you use the appropriate amount of oil, so that it’s nice a chewy!
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Fabulous! I too was drawn to this recipe. It looks so delicious. And I can imagine how well the pate went with this too. 🙂
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I love feta, and I love basil, and I love flat bread, I have all the ingredients so I know my lunch now!!
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Welcome to my blog Catalina, and thank you for commenting. How fortunate that you can be at home and make this lovely flat bread on a weekday for lunch! I wish I was, but sadly I’m at work 😦
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I was working from home, my manager is very nice, I was not feeling well so he just told me to stay home!
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Wow, that is sooo cool! Hope you feel better.
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Mm, bread 😀 These looks very successful Eva. I haven’t made many flat breads – only plain pita and that’s it (apart from the hard Swedish breads I made). Thanks for the inspiration, I remember being rather enticed by the post when I saw it on Sawsan’s blog too! Do you think they’d bake well on a pizza stone?
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I saw your pita bread, way back and made a note to try it once, then immediately forgot 😉 I had also intended on trying your Swedish breads, I’ll make another note to try it for the summer when outdoor cocktails are on the menu. I think the pizza stone would be perfect for them, as the stone retains the heat as would the cast iron pizza pan.
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These looks lovely! I love flatbreads, they are easier to make and I like them with soups, good even on its own! I wish I have a cast iron pan!!
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Hi Joyce thank you for commenting. This bread would be great with a soup. The cast iron pan isn’t entirely necessary, you could use a standard cookie sheet with a silpat or even just a spray of non-stick spray to prevent sticking.
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Eva, I cannot believe this bread was easy. It looks very impressive! Very appetising too!
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Thanks Sissi, I do love flat breads and usually they have multiple leaveners and several proofings, so I was very happy to see this recipe in Sawsan’s blog.
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I’ll just bet that the basil and feta were in the flatbread were amazing with the pate.
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Thank you Betsy the flavours were lovely indeed.
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I love trying other blogger’s recipes and this looks good although I will heed your suggestion and use the oil if I make it 🙂
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Thanks Lorraine, it was quite tasty even though; next time I shall try it with different seasonings.
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That recipe was amazing. I need to try it too.
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Hi Greg, make sure you add the oil so you get the right chewy texture.
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Oh, I love the flavors in this flatbread…mmmmmmm. So many uses…although I could just munch on them plain!
PS…I loved the story of your brother giving you a cookbook…and his ulterior motive. How cute 🙂
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Thanks Liz, we all laughed and laughed when I read the inscription. It was a fond memory, thanks for helping me to link it back!
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I don’t eat a lot of bread normally … hard to believe I know, but it’s impossible to resist a freshly baked break, or bagels etc. 🙂 And these flatbreads look amazing. I too would pass on the anise. Have you ever used zataar (I have a ton of the red version) in your cooking? That’s tasty on flatbreads as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Za%27atar
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The zataar sound wonderful – reminds me of herbes en provence! I’ll keep in mind for the next time I make it, thanks Maria.
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eva, I saved your recipe, I d like to make the flatbread in our punjabi bhati (Indian traditional oven) who hasnt been used for the past 1 year since we closed. I ll check out your other recipe too. thanks for sharing!
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Thanks Helene, how cool is that? To have such an oven, were you in the restaurant business? I’m going to make it again with a variety of flavours.
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Hi Eva,
The bread looks delicious!
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Thanks Asmita, that is so kind of you to say.
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Basil and feta make a lovely combination: I use them together all summer. We might have basil here by late May, certainly by June. I have wanted to try this recipe, too.
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Hi Sharyn, I can hardly wait to get my herb pots going on our back deck…just to step out and freshly cut a flavour for a dish is absolutely wonderful. With this cold front, I don’t dare try to plant anything before the holiday weekend in May (May 21 this year), hopefully by then we will be well clear of the crazy frost.
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Thank you so much Eva. I am honored that you not only made one of my recipes but also blogged about it. I am glad you enjoyed the flavor and I hope that the next trial will be even better and more to your liking.
Thank you again and I hope you’re having a great week
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It is indeed my pleasure Sawsan, I absolutely love your recipes and they often call to me, although I don’t have time to make them all. I know next time when I follow your lead they will turn out exactly as expected. I should have never strayed!
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I would probably do the same as you to keep the calories down, will be sure to follow recipe as written if I make it, thanks.
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It’s a balance of managing the calories and what will work, Norma, I constantly struggle due to my inability to make a recipe as is. Hope you enjoy it.
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Those look fantastic! I must give them a try too!
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Thank you kindly Angie, I’m sure yours will look much like Sawsans, you both are such accomplished bakers.
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Wonderful Eva. What beautiful looking bread. That would go with so many amazing Indian dishes. What a great appetiser! Love your recipes xx
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Thanks Charlie, it would go very well with Indian food; I have never had their stuffed breads because I just love the gravy and curries so much, but it’s a great idea! Thanks.
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This does look like wonderful inspiration! I’m already rolling through different flavour combinations in my mind… Flat bread is one thing I haven’t tried my hand at yet, but now you have my hands itching to be in dough!
Tami
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That is so true, Tami, I am already thinking of what to add with my next batch (which is still in the freezer). It was so easy to make and not much proofing time either.
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I cannot blame you for falling for Sawson’s recipes – she is a kitchen jewel!
You have done her recipe deliciously proud my friend – I can eat your pics from the screen!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Yes, indeed CCU, Sawsan does have an extremely compelling blog. I love the stories she sometimes weaves into her posts. What a lovely compliment you give to me, thank you kindly.
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