Topped flatbread and pizza... what's the difference?

[Hyperion]

I remember last year when I was travelling, I ate in a restaurant in Minneapolis called The Twin City (in the Mall) and they served free tomato and basil flat bread. It was really good and I want to duplicate it at home. They made the bread part very very thin and crispy.

but I'm not sure what's different between a topped flatbread and a pizza. maybe the pizza has an edge while flat breads don't? or maybe it's the shape? or perhaps the method of shaping the dough, by hand vs. by rolling pin?

The way I want to try making my crispy flat bread is:

1. heat oven to 500
2. roll out a leavened dough very thin, as thin as I do with tortillas
3. place the thin dough in the oven and cook until some browning occurs
4. remove from oven and let cool down
5. put tomato slices, oil, and basil on top
6. put it back in the oven, cook until tomato wilts

I wonder if I really need to use a leavened dough (with yeast) if I'm going to roll it out really thin? maybe I can just get by with unleavened dough like how tortillas are made?

 

[Andy M.]

The difference? Flat breads are cracker thin and brittle. Also, they tend to have a wider variety of toppings not usually associated with pizza.

Then again, it seems you can put anything on a pizza if it's irregularly shaped and you call it gourmet pizza.

It's worth trying without leavening.

Try a combination of prosciutto, caramelized onions and Gruyere on a flatbread.

 

[CWS4322]

Crisp flatbreads are very much a part of Scandinavian cooking (I'm not surprised they are served at Mall of America). I have several recipes for Scandinavian flatbreads. It depends on the ingredients, but we usually roll the dough so that you can "read" the pastry cloth markings and bake for about 8 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet (you prick the dough all over with a fork). We usually bake them at 400-450. Because of the thinness, and ingredients (e.g., the "sweet" one I make has whipping cream in it), they can brown/burn quickly. Knackerbrot recipes also work well for pizza. They are a bit thicker--and might be a leavened dough. It has been a long time since I've made rye Knackerbrot.

Are you sure it was flatbread and not lefse that had been crisped in the oven? I've only done that by accident...I am going to be in St. Paul for a day or so at the beginning of August...I just might have to venture over to Bloomington and the Mall of America to do a taste test...

 

[Hyperion]

Crisp flatbreads are very much a part of Scandinavian cooking (I'm not surprised they are served at Mall of America). I have several recipes for Scandinavian flatbreads. It depends on the ingredients, but we usually roll the dough so that you can "read" the pastry cloth markings and bake for about 8 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet (you prick the dough all over with a fork). We usually bake them at 400-450. Because of the thinness, and ingredients (e.g., the "sweet" one I make has whipping cream in it), they can brown/burn quickly. Knackerbrot recipes also work well for pizza. They are a bit thicker--and might be a leavened dough. It has been a long time since I've made rye Knackerbrot.

Are you sure it was flatbread and not lefse that had been crisped in the oven? I've only done that by accident...I am going to be in St. Paul for a day or so at the beginning of August...I just might have to venture over to Bloomington and the Mall of America to do a taste test...

it was a promotion for their new flat bread so it's probably no longer free lol. they did call it flat bread. are your recipes using leavened or nonleavened dough?

 

[CWS4322]

My recipes are both--leavened and unleavened. We eat flatbreads instead of toast or crackers. I don't have time to dig the recipes out right now, but maybe next week. I grew up on flatbread. My Swedish grandma always had tins of it on the shelves above her washer and dryer.

I love Knackerbrot and when I don't have time to make it, I buy it at IKEA--the round wheel is my favorite.

Fortunately, my grandmother taught me how to make all of our favorites and left me her hand-written cookbook--some of the recipes did take a lot of tweaking to get them right <g>. But I think we got them right.

 

[CWS4322]

I think the long winters in Scandinavian countries prompted these "one at a time" things you cook from the recipes--one sheet of flatbread, one krumkake, one waffle, one or two rosettes, one lefse...time consuming, but very good. And the recipes make enough to feed the Swedish (or Norwegian) army...or navy.

Is it any wonder I have the patience to make perogies, eggrolls, and dolmas?

 

[Hyperion]

I think the long winters in Scandinavian countries prompted these "one at a time" things you cook from the recipes--one sheet of flatbread, one krumkake, one waffle, one or two rosettes, one lefse...time consuming, but very good. And the recipes make enough to feed the Swedish (or Norwegian) army...or navy.

Is it any wonder I have the patience to make perogies, eggrolls, and dolmas?

scandinavian cuisine is definitely a wonder for me. unfortunately there aren't any scandinavian restaurants in Dallas.

 

[CWS4322]

scandinavian cuisine is definitely a wonder for me. unfortunately there aren't any scandinavian restaurants in Dallas.

The only Scandinavian restaurants I've eaten in have been in Scandinavian countries (if you discount the meals and treats I ate in my grandma's kitchen). If you want to eat really good Scandinavian food, go to Norway and take the cruise up to the Lofloten islands. Amazing food on that ship.

Funny you should mention that, I had a craving for roast beef (I am all out of reindeer) with gjetost and lingonberry gravy the other night. It was SO good. Hmm...I wonder what that gravy is like on poutine with grated gjetost, dried lingonberries, and curds...my next poutine experiement since I have leftover gravy (I was thinking of using it for the base of a mushroom soup but I'm low on morels...)! I have curds--I have gjetost--I have dried lingonberries, I have potatoes. Hmmm....maybe oyster mushrooms would sub for the morels...hmm--name--Bergen poutine--Lofloten Island poutine--Oslo poutine...hmmm...