Makes: 8 flatbreads
Time: About 1½ hours
Made by hand and cooked over fire, this quick-rising bread is primitive and delicious. You can bake these or cook them in a skillet as you would with Pita (page 435), but the char you get from the grill is undeniably appealing, especially for the onion variation that follows.
1. Whisk together the salt, sugar, yeast, and 1 cup water in a large bowl and let sit for a couple of minutes. Add the flour and mix until well combined. (If the dough is very dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time to moisten it.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 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 equal pieces and roll out each one 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 other side with more oil; when the breads begin to brown and puff up, flip them (cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side). When the second side is nicely browned, remove from the grill and sprinkle with the za’atar, if you’d like. Serve immediately.
GRILLED ONION FLATBREAD Cut a small onion into super-thin half moons (this is a good task for a mandoline if you have one). In Step 3, press a few slices of onion into each disk of dough and roll the dough so the onions stick. Grill on one side only without flipping.
LEMON-THYME GRILLED FLATBREAD Knead 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest into the dough in Step 2. Omit the za’atar or keep it if you prefer.