Flatbread, and family tradition

Posted on Saturday, December 29, 2007 at 11:17

Hey Ya'll!  I am starting a new thing for my blog in 2008...sharing my family recipes and some homespun stories. 

Every family has favorite foods, doesn't it?  Our family is no different...unless you take into account the fact that we are a hodge-podge of culture, and histories, all rolled into one!  As a result, my recipe book has some from just about every culture on Earth!  We love good food, and sharing it with our friends make it taste even better!

My side of the family shares the combined heritage of Choctaw Indian, German, Jewish and Irish.  My Hubby's family tree boasts, Irish, Italian, and Welsh.  Can't you just see our family reunions?  It can be so funny sometimes!  It is strange how some of the features will re-appear after a few generations.  For instance, my brother has flaming red hair and freckles, a throwback to our great-great-grandfather, John McCaskill, an immigrant from Ireland who was an itenerant preacher in North Carolina in the early 1800's.  I on the other hand, am blonde with blue eyes. 

We often share old family recipes at our reunions, and one of our favorite is flatbread.  It can be served with any meal, and I love the simplicity.  Just bring along a few fixins', and you've got an easy, and delicious meal!

Flatbread...

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp sugar added

1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp. salt added

 Add yeast to the water with the sugar added to it, allow the yeast to completely dissolve.

After yeast is dissolved into the sugar water,  add the water with the salt dissolved, and mix together well.  Begin adding 1 cup of the flour, until blended.  Add the rest of the flour, turn out onto a well-floured borad or counter-top, and knead well, until dough is smooth. shape into six or seven evenly shaped balls of dough, then allow to stand in a warm place for ten minutes.  Press dough into flat rounded shapes and fry until well browned on each side.  Or, if you prefer, lightly coat each side of the dough shapes with olive oil and bake in a 475 oven until brown.

There are so many ways to fix this flatbread!  You can add herbs to the mix, like sage, and rosemary, to serve with lamb dishes, or diced onions and garlic to serve with Italian sausage and pasta dishes. 

My little Pumpkin loves flatbread, sliced thin, with peanut butter and strawberry jam.  I prefer mine with brie cheese and a few slices of bacon.  Hubby has his favorite too!  He likes  to eat his dipped in extra virgin olive oil, with a slice of well-done steak!  Mama Connie, my beautiful Granmother, ate hers with black-eyed peas, and  scallion slices...great on a cool fall evening,  just remember to brush, before you kiss hubby, lol!

 Enjoy, Ya'll!