Spelt Flatbread Recipe

 

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage Flatbread

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage Flatbread

I love variety – in life, in clothes, in people, and mostly in food!
I struggle to make the same recipe over and over again, opting rather to try out different variations.

This recipe is a good example of ‘a little bit of this, and a little bit of that’, and voila, variety! Who can resist the enjoyment of munching on thin flatbreads ladled with different, delectable toppings? I certainly can’t!

If you think that the title of this recipe sounds like a mouthful, then believe you me, the end result will most definitely be more than a mere mouthful, in more way than one.

Recently, I found myself with a fridge full of delicious, leftover odds and ends, the sum total of which didn’t quite have the makings of a substantial meal. So, instead of letting the tidbits go lonely, I decided to make a flatbread base on which to sprinkle them.

What is bricolage, you may wander? It means something that is constructed or created from a diverse range of available things. Ta da! My kind of approach…

Why spelt? It leaves me feeling fuller than normal wheat flour does, but without feeling heavy or bloated, and it is also wheat free. (Triple yay!)

According to an article published in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” in March 2005, when researchers analyzed and compared nine dehulled spelt samples to five soft winter wheat samples, they found that the spelt offered a higher amount of certain minerals, such as copper, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus. These minerals are naturally high in the bran of the spelt grain.

But I have digressed, back to the recipe…

The flatbread base recipe was inspired by this recipe that I spotted online:
https://ohsheglows.com/2014/04/14/easiest-5-ingredient-spelt-flatbread/

I made two flatbreads, and had fun deciding what to use for the toppings.

Toppings:

Figs
Feta cheese
Chopped fresh, purple onions
Chopped and fried white onion
Fresh, crushed garlic
Basil pesto (bought from the store – GASP!)
Mushrooms
Fried bacon

Previously when I made this recipe, I topped it with small cubes of butternut, caramelised onions, and crushed walnuts…it was mouthwateringly delicious! When next I bake a flatbread, I am going to top it with carrot hummus and smoked chicken. Anyone care to join me?

Spelt Flatbread Base:

2 1/2 cups of Spelt flour
1 tsp black pepper
A pinch of salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup of hot water
2 TBS Olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180C
Combine the Spelt flour with the baking powder, salt, and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl (unless of course you want a messy, white, flour avalanche)
Slowly stir in the hot water, and the olive oil, and mix together.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
Roll the dough into a ball, and cover it with a cloth or tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Leave it covered for 30 minutes.
Grease two baking trays with non-stick spray or butter (Be lavish here!)
Sprinkle your working surface with spelt flour.
Place the dough ball onto the counter, and cut it into two equal parts.
Place each ball onto a separate greased baking tray.
Knead the piece of dough so that it stretches out into your desired flatbread shape. Mine did not reach the corners of the baking tray.
Place in the oven for 10- 15 minutes, or until the bases are browned and slightly crispy.
Place the toppings onto each base, and pop back into the oven for another 5 minutes.

Spelt flatbreads are a delicious and versatile treat to serve when one is doing non-fuss entertaining, but it’s still ideal for all the health conscious friends.

Please comment below, and let me know which bricolage toppings you use on your flatbread creations. I’d love to know.

 

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage Flatbread

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage Flatbread

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage Flatbread

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage Flatbread

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage Flatbread

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage Flatbread

Byrd and Bean Spelt Bricolage FlatbreadSpelt