Olive Oil Flatbread

A salty, olive oily, yummy version of matzo, or "unleavened," bread. From Mark Bittman's "The Minimalist" column. MORE+ LESS-

By Girl Versus Dough

March 8, 2017

Ingredients

cups Gold Medal™ unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/3

cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2

cup water

Sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

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1

Preheat oven to 500°F.
2

Combine flour and salt in food processor. Combine olive oil and water in small bowl, whisking them together well.
3

While running the food processor, add olive oil and water mixture to the flour mixture slowly. Pulse the food processor until all ingredients combine into a firm dough ball.
4

Remove dough from food processor and knead slightly into a ball. Cut ball in half, then in smaller pieces, until you have 12 small pieces of dough. Roll each piece into a ball.
5

Flatten each piece on a floured surface into a 3-4 inch round. Roll out with rolling pin into a 6-8 inch circle. Make sure it is very, very thin (you should be able to see your fingers on the other side when looking through the dough with light behind it).
6

Place thin circles on ungreased cookie sheets and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Bake circles for 4-5 minutes on one side and 2-3 minute on the other (just keep a very close watch on the dough until it is thisclose to burning, then remove from the oven). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

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When I first made Olive Oil Flatbread, it was in the midst of our move to the cornfields – er, the fabulous land of Iowa. Between packing and prepping our travel arrangements, time was short. Very short. But baking was still at the top of the priority list. This Olive Oil Flatbread was – and is – the perfect thing to make when you just have to bake something, but you don’t have much time (which, for me, seems a to be daily occurrence). This recipe is worlds away from some unleavened bread, which can be quite bland. It’s salty and crispy, with the slightest olive oily taste. It’s also known as “carta musica,” or sheet music, for its incredible thinness. The process of making Olive Oil Flatbread is as simple as the list of ingredients, most of which I’m sure you already have in the house (isn’t it wonderful when that happens?). A word of caution, however: This bread is a sensitive one, so baby the bread as much as possible by watching it constantly baking through the oven door (but don’t keep opening the door, or you lose the heat) until the edges are just about to burn. Then that’s it. You’re done. Though we don’t plan on moving again anytime soon, this bread is a perfect recipe when I’m in a hurry to make an appetizer for a dinner party. It tastes especially delicious with a smearing of hummus and a potpourri of capers and onions. For that kind of meal, I’ll take some time to slow down.