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Microwave Flatbread | Momofuku

I seem to be on a constant lookup for an industrial-strength flatbread recipe that’s easy-going and produces consistent results. I think this recipe from momofuku.com might have checked all the boxes. For sure, every piece of flatbread has a pocket within which you can easily stuff anything — from the grill, seasonal spreads, dips or salsas. More than that, you don’t need to turn on the oven and crank it up to the highest setting some recipes may require to make bread. It has been a hot summer; we’ll take a cool approach. This method spares the oven and the electrical grid the extra burden.

You pop the nearly-done flatbread in the microwave. How simple is that? First, you start cooking the dough in a hot cast iron pan over medium heat. Here is the fun part: flipping the dough 5 to 6 times during cooking. It’s even more entertaining as you watch the bread inflate in the microwave. Microwaving takes about 20-30 seconds depending on the thickness of the bread.

At this point, you know two things for sure: the bread will be fully cooked and there is a pocket like that of a pita. The process goes swiftly and almost effortlessly — a few minutes in the hot pan followed by 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Who knows the microwave can be part of a wonderful operation in making flatbread?

I believe any flatbread recipe can benefit from a zap in the microwave to puff up the interior. You’ll not have another undercooked piece of bread! What fantastic idea!

The recipe calls for bread flour and I use half all-purpose and half bread flour (more by mistakes than by plan). The dough seems sticky and the recipe calls for 1 cup (125 g) of flour to 1/2 cup (112 ml) of warm water. I ended up adding more flour to the dough. So feel free to reduce to about 100 ml of water to start. The other dough ingredients include: yogurt, baking soda and salt. In the end, this recipe has more to do with the process than the ingredient list. Surely, instant yeast will work just fine.

To get around the sticky dough, there are a few tricks to note. Adding more flour on the board or your hands will make a difference. During the bulk rise, I drizzle some olive oil around the ball of dough and let it rest in a bowl. That way, you can grab the dough as a whole more easily. If the dough feels slack, add a series of stretch and fold, to strengthen the dough and build gluten network. When you shape the dough after resting, I’d put the individual dough balls on small pieces of parchment paper. Then you can stack all the dough rounds more readily, meanwhile ease the transfer of the dough to the pan. (You can also leave the shaped dough in the fridge if you’re not ready to cook them.) As the dough cooks, the parchment paper will release instantaneously. Flip each flatbread a few times for even cooking, then microwave at the end. Poof, the bread expands in the microwave. It’s done, what fun!

What make for flavorful accompaniments for a summer fiesta together with the flatbread, here are a few suggestions:

Print Recipe

Microwave Flatbread

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 cup (125 g) whole wheat or bread flour
1 tablespoon full-fat yogurt
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3/8 cup (100 ml) warm water

Instructions

In a small bowl mix the dry ingredients, then add yogurt and mash together with a fork. Add all of the warm water and mix until a sticky dough has formed. Turn sticky dough out onto a cutting board and knead by hand for 10 minutes, or if you have an electric stand mixer, this can all be mixed in the same order with the dough hook attachment on low speed.

Once kneaded, form dough into a ball and place into a plastic bag, or cover with a damp towel and allow to rest for at least 30 mins.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Put a clean plate in the microwave. Divide the dough into 4 even portions and roll those into balls. Keep the other 3 covered while you work with one. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough ball into a 6-inch round. Place the round dough into the hot cast iron pan and cook, flipping the dough every 10 seconds or so, 5 to 6 times total.

Take the partially cooked flatbread out of the pan and immediately put it on a plate in the microwave for 20 seconds on high until it is fully puffed. Remove the puffed flatbread and repeat the process. Keep them warm under a tea towel or in a low oven until they’re all ready. Serve with your favorite dip.