Paul Hollywood's Bread (2013) s01e02 Episode Script
Flat Bread
I'm Paul Hollywood and baking is in my blood.
I was taught how to bake bread by my dad.
I've been around the smell of freshly-baked bread all my life and It's guaranteed to get my mouth watering.
It takes me back to when I was six-years-old.
Fantastic.
I think every home is Improved by it, so I want to show you that making bread in your own kitchen is much more satisfying than buying a loaf, because It's a feast for your family and for your senses.
The smell of it.
Oh! The feel of it.
It's beautiful stuff.
The look of it.
It's one of my best loaves I've ever made.
The sound of it.
This is a beautiful loaf.
And the taste of it.
I'd have that any time of the day.
It's delicious.
I want to show you that making bread is simple, really.
You mix, knead, prove, shape.
Prove again, then, finally, bake.
Once you've mastered that, I'm going to reveal how bread can be much more than just a loaf.
It can be a meal in itself.
That is very special.
So, there is no excuses.
Get baking.
We've been eating bread as our staple diet for nearly 10,000 years.
Our forefathers learned that if they pounded grains into flour, mixed it with water and baked that mix on a hot stone, they could make flatbread.
Flat breads are fun, fast, and simple to make and you can really make a meal from them.
You can stuff them, dip them, wrap them.
They're so versatile.
This time, were globe-trotting.
And I'll show you how to make a fragrant maneesh from the Lebanon laden with herbs and sesame seeds.
That's the fella! And from Cyprus, a pitta stuffed with souvlaki.
But were starting in Mexico with a tortilla recipe that's barely changed in thousands of years.
You don't need any special equipment for this.
A hot plate and a pair of hands.
Job done.
Then, well make a fiery corn tortilla tower.
If I get my flour, masa harina.
A very unique-feeling flour.
If you cant get hold of it, use wheat flour.
It's got a bit of a taste to it as well.
It's made with corn, It's very bitty, but these will give a very authentic taste.
You basically need one-and-a-half cups full.
Then you need a splash of olive oil, so a little glug.
A pinch of salt.
A cup full of cold water straight into there.
This recipe will work with wheat flour, but you need masa harina for the real authentic flavour of corn tortilla.
I'll begin to get my hands in there.
Masa harina is gluten free and has a granular texture, so it feels very different to a wheat dough.
And it'll form very quickly into a paste.
Just push it all together, pick up all the residue underneath.
It's got a very different feel to it, this.
Because of the lack of gluten in there, you've got something that breaks.
There is no string to that at all.
I'm just going to fold it a couple of times.
There you have it.
All I'm going to do is divide that into balls now.
Get the kids to do this.
They'd love to do this.
You're making a little cup in your hand and making another cup over the top, and then moving it around, so it just sits in there.
Once they're all an equal size, pop them in the fridge to chill for ten minutes.
It really helps keep them together.
Put a little bit of oil on the surface, just to prevent them from sticking too much.
You can actually use a rolling pin for this.
I'm trying to keep it as authentic as possible.
The dough is really delicate, so you could also try rolling it between two pieces of food wrap.
All I'm going to do is pop them onto the hot plate.
I reckon it's going to take about two minutes.
Two to three minutes on each side.
They may look similar to wheat tortilla, but their corn flavour makes them taste rather different.
You can now get hold of masa harina quite commonly now.
Go to a whole-foods shop and order it, but you can order it online as well.
But It's worthwhile trying them.
I'm like that.
I like to master things.
I cant just be beaten by a piece of dough.
It's not going to happen.
They are the little guys.
Nine tortillas.
Now I'm going to show you something that you can do very special with these tortillas.
Were going to build a tower with all your favourite Mexican ingredients.
I'm going to start with some spicy roast chicken.
Put some celery salt, cumin, dried oregano and smoked paprika in a bag.
Then add some dried chilli flakes, garlic salt, the juice and zest of two limes and throw in six chicken thighs.
It's on the bone, so its going to hold It's moisture and there'll be lots and lots of flavour in there.
Delicious.
Shake it all together to give it a good coating.
Roast in the oven.
180, non-fan, for about half an hour.
Once they're roasted and rested, shred the chicken off the bone and don't forget to mop up those juices.
There is enough here for an army Or one hungry baker.
Now, we cant have tortillas without guacamole.
Take the flesh of three ripe avocados and add the zest and juice of the lemon and the lime.
I'm just going to get a fork in there.
I want it to be quite lumpy.
I don't want it to be totally smooth like baby food.
Add a couple of tablespoons of sour cream, a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil.
That's the fella! That's going to be gorgeous with the tortilla.
Put my grill on now.
Were going to prepare the salsa.
Chillies, straight in.
A quartered red onion.
Some halved tomatoes, cut side down.
A couple of garlic cloves and a drizzle of olive oil, goes under the grill for about 15 minutes until the vegetables begin to char.
Then, into a processor.
Were also going to add chipotle chilli, which is a dry smoked chilli.
But that will give a stronger earthiness to the whole salsa, so And finally, a bit of coriander.
Proper food.
Then, blitz.
There you have it.
Wow! That's fantastic.
Time to build my tortilla tower.
You have a tortilla layer.
On top of that, guacamole.
Then, you have your chicken.
Then, you have your salsa.
Then, you have your sour cream.
Then, you have your Monterey Jack cheddar cheese.
Beautiful.
Top with some spring onions.
Another tortilla, guacamole, chicken, salsa, sour cream and so on and you build it all up.
To about three layers.
That's enough for one person, surely! My favourite flavours of Mexico.
That lime and the guacamole and the sour cream and that chicken.
And the whole thing on top of one of these fantastic tortilla wraps.
Look at that.
It's got to be done.
That is very special indeed.
This is delicious.
You've got to try this.
Mexican tortillas are traditionally made from corn, but flatbreads can be made by mixing water with a whole variety of cereals and grains.
When it comes to Indian breads, were largely familiar with naans and chapattis, but there is a whole world of magnificent flatbreads, so I've come to Leicester to try some more unusual ones.
Well, here there are very good restaurants.
An Indian restaurant called Kayal.
And they make some of the best-tasting breads I've ever, ever had.
Rice-based, lentil-based, flour-based.
It doesn't seem to matter with these guys.
They produce pure magic.
Restaurateur Jaimon Thomas and his head chef Sebi, serve up house specialities like crispy poori.
A dramatic deep-fried puff ball of a bread.
And that's it? And their flaky layered paratha, which is stretched until paper-thin.
Then gathered, coiled, and rolled up before being cooked on a hot plate and getting a good crushing.
But I want to try my hand at their delicate spinach dosa.
- Ok, so, basically, that's the lentil.
- Yeah.
- And the rice.
- Yes.
- Which we soak in the water.
- Yes.
Which we like to grind in a special grinder we have.
After being ground, the mixture is left to ferment for six hours.
We'd like to do spinach dosa today, so wed like to get the fresh leaves gridded, spinach It seems simple enough so far.
- It's a bit like a batter at the moment.
- Yes.
Sebi tempers the heat of the hot plate with water that's fantastic.
To get it exactly right.
The dosa is so thin it cooks in seconds, so the skill is to spread the batter really quickly.
That's huge.
So this is the filling.
Whats in that at the moment? Chilli, green paste, beans, ginger, cabbage and carrots with potatoes.
With potatoes.
A specialty of the house, Sebi makes 100 dosa every day.
Wow.
that's impressive.
The texture that you've got going on here and the smell.
You can smell the spinach in there.
- Can I have a go? - Sure, no problem.
What do we do with this, just throw it in? Very thick, isn't it? That way.
Faster, fast, faster.
That's too small, that, isn't it? Mind you, I've still got half the mix in the bowl.
That's fine.
- That's nice! - That's all right, that.
I like that.
I know It's a small one.
Would you be happy with that? The size doesn't make any difference.
If you had just used the full quantity in the bowl, it would have been bigger.
Make it quicker.
- You've got to do it quickly.
- Yeah, I know, I know, I wasn't.
I didn't put all the mix in, so my excuse is That's why mine flt's the plate.
You see, I think that, proportionally, is the right size for that plate.
I think when it hangs over the edge It's a bit much! Don't you think? I think you should change your recipe, It's fantastic.
Ok, so mine did not look quite as dramatic as Sebi's, but when It's served with coconut chutneys and a spicy vegetable sambar, I reckon it'll taste just as good.
This delicate unleavened Indian dosa is made from little more than rice, lentils and water, but flatbreads can also be leavened.
I'm going to show you how to use yeast in a flatbread to give it body in my favourite middle eastern dish.
Morning! Could I have three aubergines, please? I'm going to make a fragrant flatbread with an aubergine dip that makes a perfect lunch or snack.
Maneesh and baba ganoush.
Maneesh is a very ancient flatbread, which originates from Lebanon, eaten throughout the day.
It's topped with aromatic herbs and that's called a zaatar.
It's absolutely delicious.
We start with the same ingredients as a basic bread dough.
500 grams of strong white flour, ten grams of fast-action yeast.
And ten grams of salt.
I'm going to add some sugar to give it a color in the oven as quickly as possible.
25 grams going in.
If a bread colours quicker in the oven, it means it retains it's moisture and therefore remains soft.
Finally, I'm going to add a little olive oil and some water.
It's actually tepid water.
Unusual for me to use warm water, but I want this to be alive and a bit lighter quite quick.
Start with a little to begin with.
Fingers in.
Spin it round in the bowl.
Soft and pliable dough.
Don't do any more mixing in the bowl at this stage.
You don't have to.
The rest of it is done on the table.
I'm going to use a little bit of olive oil on the surface and just begin to roll it up into a ball.
I remember when I was in Jordan.
I went to Petra.
There was a bedouin woman inside one of the caves with a flatbread, with a piece of dough, just opening it up and she threw it over an oil dome over a flame.
There was something raw about it.
Something very ancient about what she was doing.
You can feel this dough getting softer.
The gluten's beginning to form, the stretch is beginning to happen.
I'm going to pop that into here.
Take a little bit of the oil to stop the dough from sticking.
Cover it and leave it for about an hour.
Whats the best thing to serve with a maneesh? I think a baba ganoush, a classic dish.
The best translation I've ever heard is "spoiled old daddy".
I'm a bit like that sometimes.
Prick three aubergines all over, then place them in a roasting tray and grill for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through until they are blackened all over.
They're soft, squidgy and I'm going to scoop out the inside.
To this, I'm adding a paste of crushed garlic, salt, some lemon juice and a couple of teaspoons of tahini or sesame paste.
And that, with the blend of the breads from the maneesh and the zaatar topping, is going to be fantastic.
For this and other recipes in the series, you can visit the BBC food website.
There is my dough, which has been resting now for at least an hour.
And you can see how big it's got.
It's massive.
Look at this air pocket.
Watch.
It's beautiful stuff.
As a kid, I was always fascinated watching dough grow and the way it feels so tactile.
This one we call the drop.
I'm just punching the air out of it.
I cut off a bit of dough and I'm going to shape this into a ball.
Up, hand, twist and turns.
A little bit of flour.
Push it out.
Fingers in first.
Try and get it as round as you can to start you off.
It's always easier.
It's a bit like making a pizza, I suppose.
You've got to encourage it out.
Use your fingers to dimple the dough, which stretches it and stops it springing back.
Get your rolling pin and you just want to roll it out quite big.
Flip it, get it in the flour again.
Down.
I'm slackening it off as well, leaving it to come back, so it doesn't spring back, you're just gently coaxing it out.
Now, this is a flatbread that's now relaxed.
I don't want it to rise too much in the middle, so you can use a docker, just run it down the middle.
You can use a fork if you haven't got one of these.
Puncturing the dough stops that part of it ballooning up.
Avoid the outside.
I quite like the idea of that coming up round the outside.
Now, were ready for our zaatar topping.
Thyme, marjoram, sesame seed and a good glug of olive oil in there as well.
Give that a mix round and then spread it out all over the loaf.
The smell in your kitchen when this begins to bake will get your neighbours banging on your front door.
The maneesh needs to prove for about half an hour, then It's baked for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Look at that.
The smell that is coming off that is fantastic.
The aromatic flavours coming from the marjoram, from the thyme.
The sesame seeds burst and release that little bit of oil and resin on the outside and that's what you can smell as well.
Finish the baba ganoush with a little flat leaf parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Put that together, I kid you not.
It's fantastic.
I'm just going to pop back to Jordan for a minute.
Hang on.
Oh, yeah.
The flavours of the seeds, that little bit of sweetness in the base.
The garlic and the aubergine together.
For a dinner party or just for lunch.
Beautiful.
Maneesh is another flatbread that has changed very little over the years.
But, sometimes, when people migrate around the globe, taking their breads with them, the cultures collide and a hybrid is born.
I'm in Clapham, South London, to try buss up shot or bust up shirt.
A trinidadian classic, flaky, giant flatbread which originated in a whole different continent.
So where did it come from? Is it Indian? Most of our forefathers came from north of India.
- Yeah.
- And they came down to the Caribbean, they bring all their recipes.
So this has got a strong influence then from the Caribbean.
- Very.
Yes.
- It's a hybrid between the two.
This is going to be fascinating, then.
He has been making these all his life and hes going to show me how it's done.
What dough is this? It's self-raising flour with water.
So just self-raising flour and water.
That's it? - That's it.
- Ok.
- It's just like a pizza base.
- Yeah.
- And this is the margarine, soft spread.
- Yeah.
The dough is then dusted with flour and rolled into a soft cone shape.
- It's like making a croissant.
- Yeah.
You normally fold in the butter.
This way you're doing it, a very, very I've never seen that before in my life.
So you've got lots of different layers here.
At least five layers, we've got inside.
Roll it out.
Would this be served traditionally with a curry? This one separate.
Because, traditionally, we eat it with our hands.
- Apply the vegetable oil.
- Yeah.
That's a whopper that, isn't it? That's huge.
Now we leave it, for it to cook.
It's like a warm blanket on a winter's night.
- A bit more vegetable oil.
- Right.
This flatbread is such a supersizer, it needs two special sticks, known as doublers to flip it.
It's just absolutely massive.
This is where the name comes from.
The size of a shirt and then bust up.
Thus, buss up shot.
Yeah, the flakes are definitely there.
A bit like a super sized version of the paratha I've tried in Leicester.
It's as easy as that.
That's lovely, that.
- I'd like to try that, if you don't mind.
- Yes, fine.
I know that's a big ask.
For me, not for you.
I'm a bit nervous about this, to be honest.
Done little ones no problem, but this size? Could be a car crash waiting to happen.
Begin to stretch it a little bit.
This is going to go everywhere! It's a bit of a funny shape, to be honest.
A bit more, more.
- Lift it up? - Lift it up.
Oh, no.
that's a disaster.
See if you can rescue that.
That's really hard to do.
You know what it's like.
It's like having chopsticks.
- 60-years-old.
Yeah.
- 60-years-old? And they still can't do the job! I think that's pretty good, to be honest.
Taste's all right.
In fact, it tastes very good with some curried vegetables.
Buss up shot might be a big ask in a domestic kitchen, but if I can inspire you to try making one flatbread at home, this is the one, because it has a very special place in my heart.
Pitta.
From the ancient Greek word for solid.
It is versatile, yeast-leavened flatbread that puffs up in the oven.
It's reputation might be tarnished by some bad memories of late-night kebabs, but I lived in Cyprus for several years.
I love the place and I associate pitta with my favourite lunch pork souvlaki.
I've invited two cyprian friends, Abraham and Georgina, to join me.
Hello, guys.
Now, what were going to do is make some pitta.
You're going to help me.
- Ok.
- Have you made pitta before? - No.
- We buy them in.
You buy them in? Well, It's got to be made somehow, hasn't it? What I'm going to do is add the flour in here.
Straight into the bowl.
Now, this bowl came from Couclia.
Yes.
This is the village I used to stay a lot at when I was over in Cyprus.
Yes, we have some of these.
I'm going to add some Maya.
Some yeast to that.
Yes.
A little bit of flavoring of salt in there.
And then, I'm going to add the nigella seed.
You might know it more as black cumin.
A little bit of that in there and, of course, the olive oil.
Yes! And then, the last thing to go in, I'm going to add some water.
Ok.
Move the flour around, don't worry.
Just get your hands dirty.
Just move it around.
You have a go at that side, Abraham.
You should be able to get a feel for it.
Do you need more water? I think we might do.
Yes, we need more water.
When I used to go up to Couclia, we used to do this with all the families up there.
It was such a good laugh, I really enjoyed it.
There is a friend of mine, Doras, who lives in Couclia.
He's he's the baker.
And all he does is, he makes the pittas in the old wood-fired oven and what were trying to do is replicate what you can do in a wood-fired oven at home, so I want people to get involved with making pittas.
Because pitta is such a staple diet over there, isn't it? - That made it easier for me.
- Yeah.
All you're trying to do is pummel the dough.
If you get the dough, just tuck it into the middle and then push.
It's that rhythmic action that begins to build up the gluten strands, which you need inside the flour.
Ok.
A-ha.
You say you've never done this before and you've picked it up.
- Well - It's in your DNA.
I think it is, probably.
Lets have a look at that.
That's perfect.
I love the fact that I'm teaching Cypriots how to make pitta bread.
That's fantastic.
The dough needs to rise until it's doubled in size, then, it's ready to make into pitta.
Just going to divide this into a few balls.
You can make big pittas or small pittas.
I'm going to make fairly big ones.
I want a lot of souvlaki in there, if I'm honest.
Shape it into a rough ball, slap it down and you need to sort of start to stretch it out.
I'm going to shape these into a pitta shape.
No need to prove it again, we're going to put it straight on and what we call "sting it" in the oven.
It's going to be hit with a lot of heat very quickly and we should start to see that puff and rise in the oven.
It's got to be quick.
Nice and hot.
250.
This is quite an active dough.
When you put this on a hot tray, gravity holds the base down.
Yeast begins to work very quickly because it's very hot and the top will begin to puff up because it's thin.
The trick is bringing it out at the optimum time.
Too much color and it turns like a cracker.
That's ready.
Flecks of color on the top.
Still quite pale as well.
As the air temperature begins to drop, the temperature of the bread dies.
That will then soften up and it drops down.
Now, I'm going to make my filling.
Souvlaki could be with lamb, could be with pork, could even be with chicken.
But I prefer pork.
Pork is by far and away my favourite and I've decided to use belly of pork.
For me, I love that bit of fat on there.
The crispiness that you get from the fat.
Thread chunks of pork belly onto a skewer with chopped onion and peppers.
I'm going to get a bit of color on these.
As the skewers sizzle on the griddle, baste them with oil, season, and sprinkle with dried oregano.
Finally, brush them generously with red wine for an authentic flavour.
Now, we can put it all together.
Cut your warm pitta open and stuff with shredded cabbage, lettuce, onion and tomato.
Top with the griddled pork and vegetables and serve with a chunky cypriote salad.
- Here you go, guys.
I hope you like.
- Oh, very nice.
See, I've even served it on the paper as well.
- I know! Oh, wow! - This looks great.
I used to have this for lunch.
Yes.
Yeah.
And dinner, actually.
And if I could have it, I'd have it for breakfast as well.
- I just love that meat with the bread.
- It's very nice.
The pitta tastes so soft and tasty.
To me, this is it.
Nice, healthy - You did a great job.
- Thanks, guys.
I appreciate that.
- Yiamas! - Cheers.
Next time, I'll be showing you a triple bill of iconic breads from Europe.
The French connection.
I'm in France already.
A German contest.
There is definitely a challenge going on here.
And the Italian job.
Synch & corrections by Vegemite
I was taught how to bake bread by my dad.
I've been around the smell of freshly-baked bread all my life and It's guaranteed to get my mouth watering.
It takes me back to when I was six-years-old.
Fantastic.
I think every home is Improved by it, so I want to show you that making bread in your own kitchen is much more satisfying than buying a loaf, because It's a feast for your family and for your senses.
The smell of it.
Oh! The feel of it.
It's beautiful stuff.
The look of it.
It's one of my best loaves I've ever made.
The sound of it.
This is a beautiful loaf.
And the taste of it.
I'd have that any time of the day.
It's delicious.
I want to show you that making bread is simple, really.
You mix, knead, prove, shape.
Prove again, then, finally, bake.
Once you've mastered that, I'm going to reveal how bread can be much more than just a loaf.
It can be a meal in itself.
That is very special.
So, there is no excuses.
Get baking.
We've been eating bread as our staple diet for nearly 10,000 years.
Our forefathers learned that if they pounded grains into flour, mixed it with water and baked that mix on a hot stone, they could make flatbread.
Flat breads are fun, fast, and simple to make and you can really make a meal from them.
You can stuff them, dip them, wrap them.
They're so versatile.
This time, were globe-trotting.
And I'll show you how to make a fragrant maneesh from the Lebanon laden with herbs and sesame seeds.
That's the fella! And from Cyprus, a pitta stuffed with souvlaki.
But were starting in Mexico with a tortilla recipe that's barely changed in thousands of years.
You don't need any special equipment for this.
A hot plate and a pair of hands.
Job done.
Then, well make a fiery corn tortilla tower.
If I get my flour, masa harina.
A very unique-feeling flour.
If you cant get hold of it, use wheat flour.
It's got a bit of a taste to it as well.
It's made with corn, It's very bitty, but these will give a very authentic taste.
You basically need one-and-a-half cups full.
Then you need a splash of olive oil, so a little glug.
A pinch of salt.
A cup full of cold water straight into there.
This recipe will work with wheat flour, but you need masa harina for the real authentic flavour of corn tortilla.
I'll begin to get my hands in there.
Masa harina is gluten free and has a granular texture, so it feels very different to a wheat dough.
And it'll form very quickly into a paste.
Just push it all together, pick up all the residue underneath.
It's got a very different feel to it, this.
Because of the lack of gluten in there, you've got something that breaks.
There is no string to that at all.
I'm just going to fold it a couple of times.
There you have it.
All I'm going to do is divide that into balls now.
Get the kids to do this.
They'd love to do this.
You're making a little cup in your hand and making another cup over the top, and then moving it around, so it just sits in there.
Once they're all an equal size, pop them in the fridge to chill for ten minutes.
It really helps keep them together.
Put a little bit of oil on the surface, just to prevent them from sticking too much.
You can actually use a rolling pin for this.
I'm trying to keep it as authentic as possible.
The dough is really delicate, so you could also try rolling it between two pieces of food wrap.
All I'm going to do is pop them onto the hot plate.
I reckon it's going to take about two minutes.
Two to three minutes on each side.
They may look similar to wheat tortilla, but their corn flavour makes them taste rather different.
You can now get hold of masa harina quite commonly now.
Go to a whole-foods shop and order it, but you can order it online as well.
But It's worthwhile trying them.
I'm like that.
I like to master things.
I cant just be beaten by a piece of dough.
It's not going to happen.
They are the little guys.
Nine tortillas.
Now I'm going to show you something that you can do very special with these tortillas.
Were going to build a tower with all your favourite Mexican ingredients.
I'm going to start with some spicy roast chicken.
Put some celery salt, cumin, dried oregano and smoked paprika in a bag.
Then add some dried chilli flakes, garlic salt, the juice and zest of two limes and throw in six chicken thighs.
It's on the bone, so its going to hold It's moisture and there'll be lots and lots of flavour in there.
Delicious.
Shake it all together to give it a good coating.
Roast in the oven.
180, non-fan, for about half an hour.
Once they're roasted and rested, shred the chicken off the bone and don't forget to mop up those juices.
There is enough here for an army Or one hungry baker.
Now, we cant have tortillas without guacamole.
Take the flesh of three ripe avocados and add the zest and juice of the lemon and the lime.
I'm just going to get a fork in there.
I want it to be quite lumpy.
I don't want it to be totally smooth like baby food.
Add a couple of tablespoons of sour cream, a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil.
That's the fella! That's going to be gorgeous with the tortilla.
Put my grill on now.
Were going to prepare the salsa.
Chillies, straight in.
A quartered red onion.
Some halved tomatoes, cut side down.
A couple of garlic cloves and a drizzle of olive oil, goes under the grill for about 15 minutes until the vegetables begin to char.
Then, into a processor.
Were also going to add chipotle chilli, which is a dry smoked chilli.
But that will give a stronger earthiness to the whole salsa, so And finally, a bit of coriander.
Proper food.
Then, blitz.
There you have it.
Wow! That's fantastic.
Time to build my tortilla tower.
You have a tortilla layer.
On top of that, guacamole.
Then, you have your chicken.
Then, you have your salsa.
Then, you have your sour cream.
Then, you have your Monterey Jack cheddar cheese.
Beautiful.
Top with some spring onions.
Another tortilla, guacamole, chicken, salsa, sour cream and so on and you build it all up.
To about three layers.
That's enough for one person, surely! My favourite flavours of Mexico.
That lime and the guacamole and the sour cream and that chicken.
And the whole thing on top of one of these fantastic tortilla wraps.
Look at that.
It's got to be done.
That is very special indeed.
This is delicious.
You've got to try this.
Mexican tortillas are traditionally made from corn, but flatbreads can be made by mixing water with a whole variety of cereals and grains.
When it comes to Indian breads, were largely familiar with naans and chapattis, but there is a whole world of magnificent flatbreads, so I've come to Leicester to try some more unusual ones.
Well, here there are very good restaurants.
An Indian restaurant called Kayal.
And they make some of the best-tasting breads I've ever, ever had.
Rice-based, lentil-based, flour-based.
It doesn't seem to matter with these guys.
They produce pure magic.
Restaurateur Jaimon Thomas and his head chef Sebi, serve up house specialities like crispy poori.
A dramatic deep-fried puff ball of a bread.
And that's it? And their flaky layered paratha, which is stretched until paper-thin.
Then gathered, coiled, and rolled up before being cooked on a hot plate and getting a good crushing.
But I want to try my hand at their delicate spinach dosa.
- Ok, so, basically, that's the lentil.
- Yeah.
- And the rice.
- Yes.
- Which we soak in the water.
- Yes.
Which we like to grind in a special grinder we have.
After being ground, the mixture is left to ferment for six hours.
We'd like to do spinach dosa today, so wed like to get the fresh leaves gridded, spinach It seems simple enough so far.
- It's a bit like a batter at the moment.
- Yes.
Sebi tempers the heat of the hot plate with water that's fantastic.
To get it exactly right.
The dosa is so thin it cooks in seconds, so the skill is to spread the batter really quickly.
That's huge.
So this is the filling.
Whats in that at the moment? Chilli, green paste, beans, ginger, cabbage and carrots with potatoes.
With potatoes.
A specialty of the house, Sebi makes 100 dosa every day.
Wow.
that's impressive.
The texture that you've got going on here and the smell.
You can smell the spinach in there.
- Can I have a go? - Sure, no problem.
What do we do with this, just throw it in? Very thick, isn't it? That way.
Faster, fast, faster.
That's too small, that, isn't it? Mind you, I've still got half the mix in the bowl.
That's fine.
- That's nice! - That's all right, that.
I like that.
I know It's a small one.
Would you be happy with that? The size doesn't make any difference.
If you had just used the full quantity in the bowl, it would have been bigger.
Make it quicker.
- You've got to do it quickly.
- Yeah, I know, I know, I wasn't.
I didn't put all the mix in, so my excuse is That's why mine flt's the plate.
You see, I think that, proportionally, is the right size for that plate.
I think when it hangs over the edge It's a bit much! Don't you think? I think you should change your recipe, It's fantastic.
Ok, so mine did not look quite as dramatic as Sebi's, but when It's served with coconut chutneys and a spicy vegetable sambar, I reckon it'll taste just as good.
This delicate unleavened Indian dosa is made from little more than rice, lentils and water, but flatbreads can also be leavened.
I'm going to show you how to use yeast in a flatbread to give it body in my favourite middle eastern dish.
Morning! Could I have three aubergines, please? I'm going to make a fragrant flatbread with an aubergine dip that makes a perfect lunch or snack.
Maneesh and baba ganoush.
Maneesh is a very ancient flatbread, which originates from Lebanon, eaten throughout the day.
It's topped with aromatic herbs and that's called a zaatar.
It's absolutely delicious.
We start with the same ingredients as a basic bread dough.
500 grams of strong white flour, ten grams of fast-action yeast.
And ten grams of salt.
I'm going to add some sugar to give it a color in the oven as quickly as possible.
25 grams going in.
If a bread colours quicker in the oven, it means it retains it's moisture and therefore remains soft.
Finally, I'm going to add a little olive oil and some water.
It's actually tepid water.
Unusual for me to use warm water, but I want this to be alive and a bit lighter quite quick.
Start with a little to begin with.
Fingers in.
Spin it round in the bowl.
Soft and pliable dough.
Don't do any more mixing in the bowl at this stage.
You don't have to.
The rest of it is done on the table.
I'm going to use a little bit of olive oil on the surface and just begin to roll it up into a ball.
I remember when I was in Jordan.
I went to Petra.
There was a bedouin woman inside one of the caves with a flatbread, with a piece of dough, just opening it up and she threw it over an oil dome over a flame.
There was something raw about it.
Something very ancient about what she was doing.
You can feel this dough getting softer.
The gluten's beginning to form, the stretch is beginning to happen.
I'm going to pop that into here.
Take a little bit of the oil to stop the dough from sticking.
Cover it and leave it for about an hour.
Whats the best thing to serve with a maneesh? I think a baba ganoush, a classic dish.
The best translation I've ever heard is "spoiled old daddy".
I'm a bit like that sometimes.
Prick three aubergines all over, then place them in a roasting tray and grill for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through until they are blackened all over.
They're soft, squidgy and I'm going to scoop out the inside.
To this, I'm adding a paste of crushed garlic, salt, some lemon juice and a couple of teaspoons of tahini or sesame paste.
And that, with the blend of the breads from the maneesh and the zaatar topping, is going to be fantastic.
For this and other recipes in the series, you can visit the BBC food website.
There is my dough, which has been resting now for at least an hour.
And you can see how big it's got.
It's massive.
Look at this air pocket.
Watch.
It's beautiful stuff.
As a kid, I was always fascinated watching dough grow and the way it feels so tactile.
This one we call the drop.
I'm just punching the air out of it.
I cut off a bit of dough and I'm going to shape this into a ball.
Up, hand, twist and turns.
A little bit of flour.
Push it out.
Fingers in first.
Try and get it as round as you can to start you off.
It's always easier.
It's a bit like making a pizza, I suppose.
You've got to encourage it out.
Use your fingers to dimple the dough, which stretches it and stops it springing back.
Get your rolling pin and you just want to roll it out quite big.
Flip it, get it in the flour again.
Down.
I'm slackening it off as well, leaving it to come back, so it doesn't spring back, you're just gently coaxing it out.
Now, this is a flatbread that's now relaxed.
I don't want it to rise too much in the middle, so you can use a docker, just run it down the middle.
You can use a fork if you haven't got one of these.
Puncturing the dough stops that part of it ballooning up.
Avoid the outside.
I quite like the idea of that coming up round the outside.
Now, were ready for our zaatar topping.
Thyme, marjoram, sesame seed and a good glug of olive oil in there as well.
Give that a mix round and then spread it out all over the loaf.
The smell in your kitchen when this begins to bake will get your neighbours banging on your front door.
The maneesh needs to prove for about half an hour, then It's baked for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Look at that.
The smell that is coming off that is fantastic.
The aromatic flavours coming from the marjoram, from the thyme.
The sesame seeds burst and release that little bit of oil and resin on the outside and that's what you can smell as well.
Finish the baba ganoush with a little flat leaf parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Put that together, I kid you not.
It's fantastic.
I'm just going to pop back to Jordan for a minute.
Hang on.
Oh, yeah.
The flavours of the seeds, that little bit of sweetness in the base.
The garlic and the aubergine together.
For a dinner party or just for lunch.
Beautiful.
Maneesh is another flatbread that has changed very little over the years.
But, sometimes, when people migrate around the globe, taking their breads with them, the cultures collide and a hybrid is born.
I'm in Clapham, South London, to try buss up shot or bust up shirt.
A trinidadian classic, flaky, giant flatbread which originated in a whole different continent.
So where did it come from? Is it Indian? Most of our forefathers came from north of India.
- Yeah.
- And they came down to the Caribbean, they bring all their recipes.
So this has got a strong influence then from the Caribbean.
- Very.
Yes.
- It's a hybrid between the two.
This is going to be fascinating, then.
He has been making these all his life and hes going to show me how it's done.
What dough is this? It's self-raising flour with water.
So just self-raising flour and water.
That's it? - That's it.
- Ok.
- It's just like a pizza base.
- Yeah.
- And this is the margarine, soft spread.
- Yeah.
The dough is then dusted with flour and rolled into a soft cone shape.
- It's like making a croissant.
- Yeah.
You normally fold in the butter.
This way you're doing it, a very, very I've never seen that before in my life.
So you've got lots of different layers here.
At least five layers, we've got inside.
Roll it out.
Would this be served traditionally with a curry? This one separate.
Because, traditionally, we eat it with our hands.
- Apply the vegetable oil.
- Yeah.
That's a whopper that, isn't it? That's huge.
Now we leave it, for it to cook.
It's like a warm blanket on a winter's night.
- A bit more vegetable oil.
- Right.
This flatbread is such a supersizer, it needs two special sticks, known as doublers to flip it.
It's just absolutely massive.
This is where the name comes from.
The size of a shirt and then bust up.
Thus, buss up shot.
Yeah, the flakes are definitely there.
A bit like a super sized version of the paratha I've tried in Leicester.
It's as easy as that.
That's lovely, that.
- I'd like to try that, if you don't mind.
- Yes, fine.
I know that's a big ask.
For me, not for you.
I'm a bit nervous about this, to be honest.
Done little ones no problem, but this size? Could be a car crash waiting to happen.
Begin to stretch it a little bit.
This is going to go everywhere! It's a bit of a funny shape, to be honest.
A bit more, more.
- Lift it up? - Lift it up.
Oh, no.
that's a disaster.
See if you can rescue that.
That's really hard to do.
You know what it's like.
It's like having chopsticks.
- 60-years-old.
Yeah.
- 60-years-old? And they still can't do the job! I think that's pretty good, to be honest.
Taste's all right.
In fact, it tastes very good with some curried vegetables.
Buss up shot might be a big ask in a domestic kitchen, but if I can inspire you to try making one flatbread at home, this is the one, because it has a very special place in my heart.
Pitta.
From the ancient Greek word for solid.
It is versatile, yeast-leavened flatbread that puffs up in the oven.
It's reputation might be tarnished by some bad memories of late-night kebabs, but I lived in Cyprus for several years.
I love the place and I associate pitta with my favourite lunch pork souvlaki.
I've invited two cyprian friends, Abraham and Georgina, to join me.
Hello, guys.
Now, what were going to do is make some pitta.
You're going to help me.
- Ok.
- Have you made pitta before? - No.
- We buy them in.
You buy them in? Well, It's got to be made somehow, hasn't it? What I'm going to do is add the flour in here.
Straight into the bowl.
Now, this bowl came from Couclia.
Yes.
This is the village I used to stay a lot at when I was over in Cyprus.
Yes, we have some of these.
I'm going to add some Maya.
Some yeast to that.
Yes.
A little bit of flavoring of salt in there.
And then, I'm going to add the nigella seed.
You might know it more as black cumin.
A little bit of that in there and, of course, the olive oil.
Yes! And then, the last thing to go in, I'm going to add some water.
Ok.
Move the flour around, don't worry.
Just get your hands dirty.
Just move it around.
You have a go at that side, Abraham.
You should be able to get a feel for it.
Do you need more water? I think we might do.
Yes, we need more water.
When I used to go up to Couclia, we used to do this with all the families up there.
It was such a good laugh, I really enjoyed it.
There is a friend of mine, Doras, who lives in Couclia.
He's he's the baker.
And all he does is, he makes the pittas in the old wood-fired oven and what were trying to do is replicate what you can do in a wood-fired oven at home, so I want people to get involved with making pittas.
Because pitta is such a staple diet over there, isn't it? - That made it easier for me.
- Yeah.
All you're trying to do is pummel the dough.
If you get the dough, just tuck it into the middle and then push.
It's that rhythmic action that begins to build up the gluten strands, which you need inside the flour.
Ok.
A-ha.
You say you've never done this before and you've picked it up.
- Well - It's in your DNA.
I think it is, probably.
Lets have a look at that.
That's perfect.
I love the fact that I'm teaching Cypriots how to make pitta bread.
That's fantastic.
The dough needs to rise until it's doubled in size, then, it's ready to make into pitta.
Just going to divide this into a few balls.
You can make big pittas or small pittas.
I'm going to make fairly big ones.
I want a lot of souvlaki in there, if I'm honest.
Shape it into a rough ball, slap it down and you need to sort of start to stretch it out.
I'm going to shape these into a pitta shape.
No need to prove it again, we're going to put it straight on and what we call "sting it" in the oven.
It's going to be hit with a lot of heat very quickly and we should start to see that puff and rise in the oven.
It's got to be quick.
Nice and hot.
250.
This is quite an active dough.
When you put this on a hot tray, gravity holds the base down.
Yeast begins to work very quickly because it's very hot and the top will begin to puff up because it's thin.
The trick is bringing it out at the optimum time.
Too much color and it turns like a cracker.
That's ready.
Flecks of color on the top.
Still quite pale as well.
As the air temperature begins to drop, the temperature of the bread dies.
That will then soften up and it drops down.
Now, I'm going to make my filling.
Souvlaki could be with lamb, could be with pork, could even be with chicken.
But I prefer pork.
Pork is by far and away my favourite and I've decided to use belly of pork.
For me, I love that bit of fat on there.
The crispiness that you get from the fat.
Thread chunks of pork belly onto a skewer with chopped onion and peppers.
I'm going to get a bit of color on these.
As the skewers sizzle on the griddle, baste them with oil, season, and sprinkle with dried oregano.
Finally, brush them generously with red wine for an authentic flavour.
Now, we can put it all together.
Cut your warm pitta open and stuff with shredded cabbage, lettuce, onion and tomato.
Top with the griddled pork and vegetables and serve with a chunky cypriote salad.
- Here you go, guys.
I hope you like.
- Oh, very nice.
See, I've even served it on the paper as well.
- I know! Oh, wow! - This looks great.
I used to have this for lunch.
Yes.
Yeah.
And dinner, actually.
And if I could have it, I'd have it for breakfast as well.
- I just love that meat with the bread.
- It's very nice.
The pitta tastes so soft and tasty.
To me, this is it.
Nice, healthy - You did a great job.
- Thanks, guys.
I appreciate that.
- Yiamas! - Cheers.
Next time, I'll be showing you a triple bill of iconic breads from Europe.
The French connection.
I'm in France already.
A German contest.
There is definitely a challenge going on here.
And the Italian job.
Synch & corrections by Vegemite