Skillet Yogurt Flatbreads

Name: Skillet Yogurt Flatbreads
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: 400 g (3¼ cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling; 5 g (1½ tsp) instant yeast; 8 g (1¼ tsp) fine sea salt; 5 g (1 tsp) sugar; 150 g (⅔ cup) plain whole-milk yogurt; 140 g (½ cup + 1½ tbsp) lukewarm water; 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil; 40 g (3 tbsp) butter; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated; 1 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro, optional; flaky sea salt, to finish

Soft, blistered breads in a dry pan, ready in under an hour

Makes: 8 flatbreads (about 20 cm / 8 in)
Hands-on: 35 min
Total: 1 h 40 min
Level: Easy

A soft yeasted dough enriched with yogurt, rolled thin and cooked in a very hot dry pan until it puffs and blisters. Brush with garlic butter and serve with curries, grilled meat, dips or anything with a sauce worth mopping up.

Ingredients

Dough

400 gall-purpose flour (3¼ cups)plus extra for rolling
5 ginstant yeast (1½ tsp)
8 gfine sea salt (1¼ tsp)
5 gsugar (1 tsp)
150 gplain whole-milk yogurt (⅔ cup)
140 glukewarm water (½ cup + 1½ tbsp)
15 mlolive oil (1 tbsp)

Garlic butter

40 gbutter (3 tbsp)
2 clovesgarlic, finely grated
1 tbspchopped parsley or cilantrooptional
flaky sea saltto finish

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: gluten, milk

Method

Whisk the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the yogurt, water and olive oil and mix into a soft dough. Knead on the counter for 5 minutes until smooth; it should feel soft and slightly tacky. 5 min
Return to the bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 1 h
Meanwhile, melt the butter with the garlic over low heat for 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the herbs and set aside.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces (about 90 g each) and roll each into a ball. On a lightly floured counter, roll each ball into a round or oval about 3 mm (⅛ in) thick.
Heat a heavy dry frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes until very hot. Lay in one flatbread. Cook 1–1½ minutes, until big bubbles rise and the underside has dark brown spots. 2 min
Flip and cook 1 minute more, until spotted on the second side and puffed. Brush with garlic butter, sprinkle with flaky salt, and stack in a clean towel to keep soft and warm while you cook the rest. 1 min

Why it works

The acidity and fat in yogurt tenderize gluten, so the breads stay soft and pliable instead of chewy. A very hot pan turns the water in the thin dough to steam instantly, puffing it into pockets, while direct contact browns the surface in seconds. Stacking them in a towel traps that steam so they don't dry out.

Common mistakes

A pan that isn't hot enough. The bread dries before it browns and turns cracker-stiff.
Rolling too thick. Over about 5 mm the center stays doughy by the time the outside is charred.
Using oil in the pan. Dry heat gives the blistered spots; oil makes them greasy.

Variations

No-yeast version: Replace the yeast with 8 g (2 tsp) baking powder, rest the dough 20 minutes instead of rising, and cook the same way. Slightly denser but ready in 30 minutes.
Stuffed: Roll two thin rounds, scatter grated cheese and chopped scallions between them, press the edges and cook a little longer over medium heat.

Make ahead and storage

The dough can rise in the fridge overnight. Cooked breads keep 2 days wrapped and reheat in a dry pan for 20 seconds a side; they freeze for 2 months with baking paper between them.

Notes

Hydration about 67% counting the yogurt's water (140 g water plus roughly 125 g water in the yogurt, to 400 g flour). Dairy-free: replace yogurt with 120 g water and 15 ml extra oil, and brush with olive oil instead of butter.