Yogurt Flatbreads with Fava + Mint Pesto

Everyone's been asking how to make these little flatbreads lately, so I had to share them here. If you know me, you know I'm constantly scouring cookbooks, blogs + all corners of the internet to find recipes. As a cook for work (and for fun!) I'm always looking for new recipes to try either for private clients or for events at Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, where I work part-time. 

I came across these simple flatbreads from everyone's favorite, Bon Appetite. The title is what caught my eye, 'A Flatbread Recipe for People Who Think They Can't Bake.' Sounded to me like I couldn't mess it up and it would be easy enough to make for a crowd. Though I love to cook, baking is a bit more intimidating for me in terms of precise measuring and patience. I like to be able to tweak flavors when I'm cooking, so you can see why baking is a bit of a challenge for me. But, I've decided that I'm going to give more baking projects a try this year and will keep you posted with recipes to share. 

Since our garden is still in winter mode, we've got cover crops sown on the beds at the moment. Luckily, the cover crops are food themselves and its a real treat to harvest fresh fava bean tips and pea shoots this time of year. If you don't have these handy, feel free to grab some fresh dandelion greens, chickweed, miners lettuce or any wild greens you've got sprouting up. The addition of mint to the pesto adds a burst of freshness perfect for flatbreads, roasted veggies or enjoying as a dip. 

This recipe might seem long since its a two-parter, but I offer you some words of encouragement: If I can make these on a weeknight, I'm certain you can too. Recently, I did a little variation of these and added turmeric powder to the flour for a golden hue. The options are endless with this one, so get creative with all the first offerings of spring and enjoy these yogurt flatbreads al fresco style on a warm evening. 

Yogurt Flatbreads 

This is the exact recipe I used from Bon Appetite, with a few tweaks like cooking with ghee instead of olive oil and covering the dough with a kitchen towel instead of plastic wrap. I've only ever followed these instructions so I want you to have them too. 

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon sugar

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or sprouted flour, plus more for surface

• 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more

• 1 cup whole fat plain yogurt, plus more if needed

• 4 tablespoons ghee

• Olive oil for drizzling 

• Sea salt + fresh cracked pepper

METHOD 

Whisk baking powder, sugar, 2 cups flour, and 2 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Add yogurt and stir to combine (the yogurt’s acidity ensures a tender texture). Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until mostly smooth, about 1 minute. Divide into 4 pieces, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest 15 minutes (this will make dough easier to roll).

Working one at a time, roll out each piece of dough into a round about ⅛" thick. (Don’t stress: They don’t need to be perfect.) Heat 1 Tbsp. ghee in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium. Working one at a time, cook rounds of dough until underside is golden brown and flatbread is beginning to puff, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until other side is golden brown, about 1 minute longer; transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and rounds of dough. Let cool slightly.

Fava + Mint Pesto 

• 1 handful fresh fava bean tips 

• 1 handful fresh mint leaves 

• 1 handful walnuts or seeds of choice 

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed 

• 1/2 tsp good sea salt 

• A glug or two of organic olive oil 

METHOD

A great time to make this pesto is while you're waiting for your dough to rest. Using a food processor, add in the walnuts, garlic + salt, then pulse until the mixture is crumby. Next, add in the fava tips and mint leaves then drizzle a glug of olive oil on top. Pulse again until you get a creamy consistency. You might have to scrape down the sides of the food processor or add more olive oil to get the texture you want. Taste to see if it needs more salt or oil. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week or use it up on the flatbreads. 

TOPPINGS

To assemble the flatbreads, spread on a good layer of pesto, top with a few dollops of soft goat cheese + seared pea shoots. These are also really yummy with melted onions, ricotta cheese and pesto. The sky is the limit when it comes to toppings. You've got all spring and summer long to come up with your favorites!