A flatbread is a simple bread made with flour, water, and salt and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened i.e made without baking powder, yeast or sourdough culture — although some flatbread is made with yeast, such as pita bread.
There are many other optional ingredients that flatbreads may contain, such as herbs spices and chiles. Olive oil or sesame oil may be added as well. Flatbreads can range from one millimeter to a few centimeters thick. Flatbread was already known in Ancient Egypt and Sumer. In ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) the Sumerians discovered that edible grains could be mashed into a paste and then baked/hardened into a flatbread.
The term unleavened bread can also refer to breads which are not prepared with leavening agents. These flatbreads hold special religious significance to adherents of Judaism and Christianity. Jews consume unleavened breads such as matzo during Passover.
Unleavened bread is used in the Western Christian liturgy when celebrating the Eucharist. On the other hand, most Eastern Churches explicitly forbid the use of unleavened bread (Greek: azymes) for Eucharist as pertaining to the Old Testament and allow only for bread with yeast, as a symbol of the New Covenant in Christ's blood. Indeed, this was one of the three ponts of contention that are, in traditional legend, accounted as those that brought about the Great Schism between Eastern and Western churches (the others being Petrine supremacy and the filioque in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed).
Canon Law of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church mandates the use of unleavened bread for the Host, and unleavened wafers for the communion of the faithful. The more liturgical Protestant churches tend to follow the Latin Catholic practice, whereas others use either unleavened wafers or ordinary bread, depending on the traditions of their particular denomination or local usage.
Fats and oils are solid while oils are liquid. Fats come from a variety of animals and plants. Oils mostly come from plants. Their main functions are to shorten the dough and add flavour. They also provide some nutritive value. It is important to add the correct amount of fat as too much far will make the baked product greasy and unpleasant to eat, while too little fat will leave you with a product that lacks flavour and stales quickly.
Flour is the ingredient on which most baked products are based. Flour is made up of starch, protein, sugar and minerals. The protein content decides what the end use of the flour will be. Types of flours include
All-Purpose Flour is so named because of its versatility and strength . It is known for its high protein content—10 to 12 percent—although this can vary by brand or region. It is great to use when adjusting recipes at high altitudes, since the added protein content can improve the overall structure of baked goods.
Bread Flour has a high protein content of 12 to 14 percent. It is composed of hard wheat flour. The high protein content means it has a high gluten content, which is critical for giving the bread its shape, structure and rise. Bread flour is available in whole wheat, white, organic, bleached and unbleached varieties.
Whole Wheat Flour is made using all parts of the grain, including bran, germ and endosperm. This is unlike white and refined flours, which do not contain the bran or germ. Whole wheat flour has a high protein content, close to 14 percent. Whole flour has a textured, brown appearance and is more nutritious than refined white flour. However, it does not always rise as well as white flours, and it is typically more expensive in comparison.
Self-Rising Flour. Self-rising flour is white flour, usually cake flour, that has baking powder and salt added to it. Baking powder is a chemical leavener that allows the recipes that use this type of flour to rise without the addition of extra leavener.
Salt is usually only added in very small amounts to baked products, but it has a noticeable effect on the flavour of baked products. It not only provides its own flavour but brings out the natural flavour of other ingredients. In bread doughs, salt strengthens gluten and improves the consistency of the dough. Carbon dioxide given off by the yeast is more easily trapped by the strengthened gluten, which makes a better loaf of bread. Salt is also a good preservative as it absorbs water so there is less free water for bacterial and fungal growth.
Sugar adds sweetness and is used in many forms and many ways. In yeast raised products, sugar acts as food for the yeast. Sugars improve the crust colour of baked products, improve flavour and help to retain moisture, keeping products softer for longer and so reducing staling. Examples of sugar forms are granulated sugar, castor sugar and icing sugar. Sugar also comes in liquid forms such as syrup, molases, corn syrup, honey and caramel.
Yeast belongs to the fungi family. It ferments carbohydrates (sugars) to produce carbon dioxide gases and alcohol, which aerate the bread giving it volume and texture. These by-products of yeast also contribute to the colour and aroma of bread and other yeasted products.
Baking powder is probably the most common aerating agent. It is made up of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Baking powder is a chemical aeration agent.
There are many other optional ingredients that flatbreads may contain, such as herbs spices and chiles. Olive oil or sesame oil may be added as well. Flatbreads can range from one millimeter to a few centimeters thick. Flatbread was already known in Ancient Egypt and Sumer. In ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) the Sumerians discovered that edible grains could be mashed into a paste and then baked/hardened into a flatbread.
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| Roti-Indian Flatbread |
Flatbreads in Religion
The term unleavened bread can also refer to breads which are not prepared with leavening agents. These flatbreads hold special religious significance to adherents of Judaism and Christianity. Jews consume unleavened breads such as matzo during Passover.
| Matza-Jewish Passover bread |
Canon Law of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church mandates the use of unleavened bread for the Host, and unleavened wafers for the communion of the faithful. The more liturgical Protestant churches tend to follow the Latin Catholic practice, whereas others use either unleavened wafers or ordinary bread, depending on the traditions of their particular denomination or local usage.
Basic Ingredients
Fats and oils are solid while oils are liquid. Fats come from a variety of animals and plants. Oils mostly come from plants. Their main functions are to shorten the dough and add flavour. They also provide some nutritive value. It is important to add the correct amount of fat as too much far will make the baked product greasy and unpleasant to eat, while too little fat will leave you with a product that lacks flavour and stales quickly.
Flour is the ingredient on which most baked products are based. Flour is made up of starch, protein, sugar and minerals. The protein content decides what the end use of the flour will be. Types of flours include
All-Purpose Flour is so named because of its versatility and strength . It is known for its high protein content—10 to 12 percent—although this can vary by brand or region. It is great to use when adjusting recipes at high altitudes, since the added protein content can improve the overall structure of baked goods.
Bread Flour has a high protein content of 12 to 14 percent. It is composed of hard wheat flour. The high protein content means it has a high gluten content, which is critical for giving the bread its shape, structure and rise. Bread flour is available in whole wheat, white, organic, bleached and unbleached varieties.
Whole Wheat Flour is made using all parts of the grain, including bran, germ and endosperm. This is unlike white and refined flours, which do not contain the bran or germ. Whole wheat flour has a high protein content, close to 14 percent. Whole flour has a textured, brown appearance and is more nutritious than refined white flour. However, it does not always rise as well as white flours, and it is typically more expensive in comparison.
Self-Rising Flour. Self-rising flour is white flour, usually cake flour, that has baking powder and salt added to it. Baking powder is a chemical leavener that allows the recipes that use this type of flour to rise without the addition of extra leavener.
Salt is usually only added in very small amounts to baked products, but it has a noticeable effect on the flavour of baked products. It not only provides its own flavour but brings out the natural flavour of other ingredients. In bread doughs, salt strengthens gluten and improves the consistency of the dough. Carbon dioxide given off by the yeast is more easily trapped by the strengthened gluten, which makes a better loaf of bread. Salt is also a good preservative as it absorbs water so there is less free water for bacterial and fungal growth.
Sugar adds sweetness and is used in many forms and many ways. In yeast raised products, sugar acts as food for the yeast. Sugars improve the crust colour of baked products, improve flavour and help to retain moisture, keeping products softer for longer and so reducing staling. Examples of sugar forms are granulated sugar, castor sugar and icing sugar. Sugar also comes in liquid forms such as syrup, molases, corn syrup, honey and caramel.
Yeast belongs to the fungi family. It ferments carbohydrates (sugars) to produce carbon dioxide gases and alcohol, which aerate the bread giving it volume and texture. These by-products of yeast also contribute to the colour and aroma of bread and other yeasted products.
Baking powder is probably the most common aerating agent. It is made up of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Baking powder is a chemical aeration agent.