I don’t always feel up to cooking a full dinner on weeknights, so I’m constantly trying to come up with what I call “blank slate” recipes that I can plug seasonal produce into at any time of year that allow me to put a meal on the table without having to think too much. Flatbread is one the best of these “blank slates.” The rolled-out dough becomes an empty canvas, for you to top with any combination of flavor and color that can be scooped out of the palette of your pantry. The dough can be flavored with various herbs and spices to suit your mood, or the season, as well.
Flatbread also lends itself well to being made ahead. You can mix a no-knead dough up the day before (I like to throw fennel seeds in mine), and it will be ready to go when you’re ready to bake. My all time favorite fall combination is also incredibly simple: wild mushrooms sautéed in sherry vinegar and butter, a soft, rich cheese, fresh herbs, and a whisper of flaky sea salt. I’m especially keen on black lava salt these days.
I like to use cheese from my home state of Tennessee. A local creamery called Sequatchie Cove makes a camembert style cheese called Dancing Fern, and it’s become a quick favorite flatbread topper. But any camembert, brie or similar soft cheese or a nice washed rind cheese would stand in beautifully. I tend to use whatever herbs I have on hand, but my favorites are fennel frond (to echo the fennel seed in the crust), flat leaf parsley, chives, and a snap of fresh thyme.
The key to a good, crispy flatbread is twofold: a pizza stone & a screamingly hot oven. Get your oven as hot as it will get. The ultra hot oven, plus the stone (which you allow to heat inside the oven as it comes to temperature so it’s also very hot), mimic the high temperatures of traditional ovens to create a perfect bubbling, crispy crust. When made this way, the flatbread bakes in a matter of minutes, so all that’s left to do is set the table, pour the wine, and enjoy a simple dinner. Any night of the week, it’s a perfect way to end the day.
Find the recipe for my Fennel Flatbread over at Kaufmann Mercantile’s blog Field Notes and find this gorgeous soap stone & copper pizza stone, hand pressed glass bowls, and black walnut pizza peel over at their store!
What a beautiful post! I just love flatbread and find myself always ordering it when I’m out…I’ll have to try this one day! =)
This is perfect inspiration for me to create a quick, go-to gluten-free flatbread recipe that I can whip up in minutes and for which I always have the ingredients on hand. The versatility of the topics is definitely a selling point!
I love this! The photos are super beautiful and I can’t wait to try it out.
Lucy xoxo
http://lucyannblog.blogspot.co.uk
I love flatbreads, they do render themselves to such a delicious amount of combinations!!
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
I’m so excited that for one, I actually have what I need to do the recipe ~ a pizza stone. And now I just need to crank the oven. I tried making flatbread once right after I gave birth, like 2 days. I bombed it!! Oh well. This is what second chances are all about!!!! Cannot wait to try. Thanks.
This flatbread looks unbelievably delicious, I must get myself a pizza stone to try out myself. Gorgeous photography as always!
Tessa at Bramble & Thorn
Love your blog, love your recipes, can’t wait to try your flat bread. Your photography is exceptional, however, your nail polish makes your nails look dirty around the quick in several of the pictures. No need to post this, just a comment for you….
Hi Beth,
I am not sure since when I follow you. I have an ardent reader of all your posts and the awesome picture. Thats a very beautiful post.
Best Regards,
Roy
This is great inspiration for me since I am looking for easy ways to have nutritious dishes that use up mu produce!
Oh goodness! I love flatbread and your combinations sound so lovely. I love how flatbread is great for families too since everyone can choose their own toppings. Thanks for the lovely ideas!
Beth I knew we were kindred spirits! This is just like a flatbread I was inspired to make last week using my farmer’s dried mushrooms and my homemade own cowsmilk Panna.
You are a food poet as well as with words. We must talk again.
Thanks!Lovely photos, flat breads rule, but my main question WHERE of WHERE did you get that black pot with wooden lid -love at first sight!!
Looks delicious, but is that really all you eat for dinner? That would be a snack in our house, including kids.
Great post! I just posted a similar recipe on wonderfulandwhimsical.com
I love how the article shows how the flatbread is made, it makes it more interesting that way. I think the flatbread looks so good with the oil, mushrooms, and herbs on it. It makes me want to go out and buy some.