Grilled Lebanese Flatbread

There's something about bread on the grill that is just out of this world.  Grilled cheese sandwiches, grilled pizza, grilled bread for open-faced sandwiches (my current summer obsession)...all of these things that are normally made inside take on a magical quality with just that tiny bit of charred-ness you get only from the grill.

And one of my most favorite variations on this is just plain old flatbread.  It's a quick and easy dough that you mix up in 5 minutes, let rise for an hour or so, knead for a few minutes and then roll out.  Brush it with olive oil, pop it on the grill, and about 5 minutes later you have this:

Gorgeous, warm, crusty bread.  You can tear it up and use it as something to spread cheese or hummus on.  You can dip it into a bowl of olive oil seasoned with pepper and rosemary.  You can use it as the base for an avocado, egg and smoked salmon sandwich.  Or you can just stand next to the grill the second it comes off and eat it right there.  I may or may not have been known to have done that.

Grills.  They're not just for burgers anymore.  

Grilled Lebanese Flatbread, from Mark Bittman

• 2 teaspoons salt


• 1 teaspoon sugar


• 1 tablespoon instant yeast


• 3 cups all-purpose flour


• Extra virgin olive oil as needed

1. Whisk together the salt, sugar, yeast and 1 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit until it begins to froth, about 5 minutes, then add the flour and mix until well combined. (If the dough is very dry, add more warm water a tablespoon at a time to moisten it.) Cover and let rise somewhere warm for about an hour.
2. Meanwhile, prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high and the rack about 4 inches from the fire. When the dough has puffed up, transfer it to a well-floured surface and knead until soft and silky, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Cut the dough into 8 equally sized pieces and roll each one out until it’s about 6 inches in diameter; don’t worry about making these perfectly round, but try to keep them relatively even in thickness. Brush one side of the breads with olive oil and put as many on the grill, oiled side down, as will comfortably fit at one time. While the first side cooks, brush the side facing you with more oil; when the breads begin to brown and puff up, flip them. When the second side is nicely browned, remove from the grill and serve immediately.

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