Umbrian Flatbread #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

These no fuss flatbreads are fun to make and remind me of a lighter version of Irish griddle bread (also fun to make). They cook more quickly than griddle bread and they can be eaten as is or split to make sandwiches. We’ve had them with a lovely combination of sauteed mushrooms and fontina cheese. We also like them alongside soup or salad.

When you knead the dough, do it briefly ( less than a minute), just to bring it together in a smooth, cohesive mass. If you knead it the way you would a yeasted loaf or the flatbreads will be tough.

 

Umbrian Flatbread

Adapted from Milk Street Bakes by Christopher Kimball

Makes 4  

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

 

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup or bowl, combine the olive oil and water. While stirring the flour mixture, slowly add the oil and water mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, adding another tablespoon of water (or 2 or 3), as needed, if the mixture is too dry.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and cohesive, but only for about 30 seconds, 1 minute tops. Divide the dough into four equal parts (I make one large ball and cut it into quarters). Shape each quarter into a smooth ball. Leaving the balls on the floured board, cover them with a kitchen towel and them let rest at least 15 minutes and up to an hour.

Using your hands, press each dough ball into a 5- or 6-inch round. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low until water flicked onto the surface immediately sizzles. Add a round (or two if they’ll fit) and cook until well browned in spots, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is spotty brown, another 4 or 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cook the rest of the rounds the same way. Wrap the breads in a kitchen towel and set them aside until the rest of your meal is ready.

See the flatbread on the small plate above the bowl of soup?
You'll find the recipe for that Spicy Peanut Pumpkin Soup here.

💗 click here for a free, printable pdf of the Umbrian Flatbreads recipe 💗

 

Coming in June 2025!

All Shell Breaks Loose

Haunted Shell Shop book 3

 

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder . . .

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . . 

Happy reading!

 

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.