Skillet Flatbreads

These tender, pillowy flatbreads are cooked in a dry cast-iron skillet, blistering and charring just like the ones pulled from a wood-burning hearth. Made from a simple yogurt-enriched dough, they puff and char beautifully with no filling — great with a smear of yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil, or alongside a bowl of olives.

Ingredients

• warm water (about 110°F / 43°C) – ¾ cup
• active dry yeast – 1 teaspoon
• granulated sugar – 1 teaspoon
• all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting – 2 cups
• fine salt – ¾ teaspoon
• plain whole-milk yogurt – 3 tablespoons
• olive oil – 2 tablespoons

• olive oil, for brushing – 2 tablespoons

Instructions

1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir briefly. Let it sit for 5–8 minutes until foamy — if nothing happens, your yeast is inactive and you'll need a fresh packet.
2. Add the flour, salt, yogurt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Mix on low with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms, then increase to medium and knead for 6–7 minutes until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides. It should be softer than bread dough but not sticky.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature for 45–60 minutes until roughly doubled in size.
4. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 4 equal pieces (about 120g each). On a lightly floured surface, flatten one piece into a round roughly 5 inches across, then roll it out to a rough 7-inch circle, about ¼ inch thick.
5. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes until very hot — a drop of water should sizzle and evaporate immediately. Cook each flatbread dry (no oil in the pan) for 2–3 minutes per side, until dark golden-brown spots form and the bread is puffed in places. Don't rush the heat — a properly hot pan gives you those characteristic char marks without drying the bread out.
6. As each flatbread comes off the heat, brush it immediately with olive oil. Stack finished flatbreads under a clean towel to keep them pliable while you cook the rest. Serve warm.