Easy Herb Flatbread

Impress your family and friends with this easy herb flatbread.  This recipe can be used as an appetizer or as a main meal accompanied by soup and salad. The possibilities are endless with this versatile and customizable meal.  Be creative and make it your own by adding your favorite savory toppings.   

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Makes two flatbreads

Instructions:

1. Add warm water and sugar into a 1-cup glass liquid measuring cup. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add yeast to the warm mixture and stir again. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. You should be able to see the yeast’s frothy bubbles rising to the top of the water. If the yeast does not bubble, your yeast may have expired.
2. In a giant bowl, add flour, salt, and herbs. Mix. Add yeast mixture and oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. The dough should pull away from the bowl and form a soft ball. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour at a time. 
3. Dampen a towel and cover the top of the bowl with the dough. Let the dough rise for approximately one hour in an area free from draft. We put ours in the microwave oven away from drafts. The dough should double in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 475° F.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough ball and stretch each half to about a 5×7 area, about a quarter inch thick. 
6. Brush the flatbread with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
7. Add toppings of your choice. 
8. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the crust, vegetables, and cheese are golden brown. Lift up the flatbread to make sure the bottom of the flatbread is crisp and brown. 
9. Remove flatbread from the oven, transfer to a wooden board, and cut into desired slices. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers, which taste great the next day, and enjoy while picnicking or on a rest break on your hike.

Topping Suggestions:

Brush the first flatbread with 1 minced garlic, 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil mixture. Add 1/2 cup of freshly shredded asiago cheese and then two cups of fresh sliced (chiffonade) spinach, kale, and sorrel mix.  Top with  thinly sliced red onions, grape tomatoes – halved, and 6 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Brush the second flatbread with a mix of 1 tsp of minced garlic and 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil mixed together. Add 1/2 cup of freshly shredded parmesan cheese, 16 ounces of sauteed button mushrooms reduced of its moisture content, 2 cups of wilted sliced sorrel, caramelized fig balsamic vinegar onions* also reduced in its amount of moisture, 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup grated asiago cheese.

Instructions:

1. Add olive oil and unsalted butter in a heavy, medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Once the butter has melted and is a little bubbly, add the onion rings and salt using a wooden spoon and stir occasionally for twenty minutes.
3. The onions should have a golden color and appear stringy. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the balsamic vinegar, and stir occasionally for another twenty minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Note:  If the onions are rapidly browning and are sticking to the skillet, add a little water to deglaze the pan and stir with a wooden spoon, reincorporating the vinegar into the onions. The onions are ready to use once they are completely caramelized.

Share your customized creations and favorite toppings with the OPL community on the One Planet Life app!

Recipe compliments of OPL Master Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!