Gluten Free Flatbread

So in March, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease--an autoimmune disease where the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten (the substance remaining when the flour of wheat or other grain is washed to remove the starch) and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats.

As a Persian, I was pretty devestated. "I can't eat any more naan!? I eat lavash with almost every meal!" And although There are a lot of alternatives to my favorite gluteny filled foods (tapioca bread, rice bread, rice pasta, corn pasta, gluten free chips and cereals and cereal bars etc) I have yet to find gluten free flat bread.

Thus began my interesting adventure to find a flatbread that would taste similar to naan or pita bread. I have finally found a recipe worthy to post after many trials and a lot of shifting amounts here is a yummy gluten-free flatbread.

Gluten-Free Flatbread

Ingredients
2 cups sorghum flour (Bob's Red Mill is fine--it will come out looking a little grey though)for pretty, cream colored roti like those pictured, use Authentic Foods Sorghum flour. For a more rustic greyish roti use Bob’s Red Mill)
2 cups water
salt to taste


Directions
1. Bring your water barely to a boil in a saucepan. Add your 1 cup of flour gradually but steadily, using the roux whisk to whisk the flour as you pour it into the water continuously.

2. Reduce heat to low.

It is a good idea to have your 2nd cup of flour already ready because this next part requires you to be snappy!

3. Using wooden spoon, stir in your second cup of flour into the dough in the pan. This will require some arm muscles!

4. A skin of dough should have formed on the bottom of the pan, leaving you with a ball of dough. The longer you have it on the stove, the more rubbery it becomes. I have found that keeping it on the stove and mixing and moving it around for 2 to 3 minutes gives the dough a really nice texture. You might be disgusted by the rubberyness but trust me. It will be amazing.

5. Remove dough to a heat resistant bowl and leave for five-ten minutes or until cool enough to handle. Form into small balls and place in a bowl.

6. Take a quart size freezer safe ziploc bag and cut out the sides (allowing the bread to spread). Roll out dough inside your ziploc bag, with rolling pin on the top outside of the bag.

7. Peel flatbread from plastic and place on a plate. They should handle well and not fall apart.

8. Heat cast iron skillet to medium and toast your flatbread until its texture changes, and if you like, until it gets light brown spots.

9. Turn it and toast the other side. Sometimes they will puff up with internal air pockets (yum!)

10. Sprinkle with salt (if you want, I usually don't) and serve.

And there you have it for yummy flatbread. I usually eat it with Mast and onion before my meal and during meal I scoop up the rice with it. It can be used as a wrap or tortilla or be served along other dips like hummus.

Enjoy! (=