Sourdough Flatbread

5 from 3 votes

Sourdough flatbread is the perfect vehicle for any toppings. Tender and soft, this easy flatbread is mixed by hand and baked up on a grill or in a skillet. You're going to love it!

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Fermentation Time20

Total Time20 17

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: large flatbreads

Author: Amy Coyne

Equipment

grill or skillet
mixing bowl

Ingredients

Levain (1:10:10, overnight or about 10-12 hours at 78ºF)

5 grams ripe, active starter about 1 teaspoon
55 grams flour about 1/2 cup
55 grams water about 1/4 cup

Sourdough Flatbread

100 grams levain scant 1/2 cup
240 grams 2% milk, warmed about 1 cup
8 grams granulated sugar about 1 1/2 teaspoons
7 grams salt about 1 teaspoon
15 grams olive oil about 1 Tablespoon
400 grams all-purpose flour about 2 1/2 -3 cups
olive oil for brushing
Desired Toppings

Instructions

Levain (1:10:10, overnight or about 10-12 hours at 78ºF)

Mix together ripe/active sourdough starter with all-purpose flour and water. Cover loosely and let sit 10-12 hours at 78°F until doubled, bubbly & peaked.
Note: If you have a ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter that is fed equal parts flour and water – it can be substituted for the levain in this recipe.

Sourdough Flatbread

To a medium-sized bowl, add ripe levain, warm milk, sugar, salt, olive oil and all-purpose flour. Mix together with a dough whisk or by hand until a dough forms.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a bowl cover. Set in a warm, 78-80ºF place and let rise for about 5-6 hours. By that time the dough will not quite double in size, but will feel aerated and have risen some.
Separate dough into 4 equal sized pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. Take a piece of dough and pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter, holding your hand in a cupping shape to seal the balls and create tension. You can see how I shape dough here.
Place dough on a baking sheet or clean countertop surface and cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to keep warm around 80ºF and let the dough rest and rise for another 2-3 hours. At this point the dough will puff up, rise and double in size.
Preheat a grill to 450ºF OR pre-heat a skillet on the stove to medium heat.
Take a risen dough ball and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a long oval shape, about 12 by 6 inches. Brush with olive oil on both sides and place dough on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough balls until you have 4 rolled flatbreads on the baking sheet. This makes transferring the flatbread to a grill or oven easier, but you can also roll and bake them one at a time.
Grilling: Place flatbread directly on the hot grill. Close the grill lid and let bake for about 1 minute. If the flatbread has formed a crust on the bottom and is bubbly on top, it's time to flip. Use tongs to flip the flatbread to the other side and bake for another 30 second to 1 minute. Remove from the grill when baked through.
Skillet Method: Place a flatbread on the preheated skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until flatbread is puffed up and bubbly. Then flip and continue cooking for another minute or two until baked all the way through.
At this point you can top your flatbread with whatever toppings you like. Make it a pizza - style, or add some grilled peaches and fresh burrata. The flatbread is the perfect vehicle for your creativity! Warm the flatbread up again on the grill or pan to melt any cheese if desired and enjoy!

Notes

Overnight Refrigeration: If you want to break up the steps in this recipe to spread it out over a couple of days, the dough can be refrigerated after the bulk rise OR after the dough balls have proofed and risen.

Nutrition