[Note: These crackers got some fresh photos in 2019 because the 2008 ones were awful.]
It took me until I was on some interminable wait on the phone last week with hold music so awful, they had to have done it on purpose, to finally get to flipping through the July 2008 Gourmet magazine. And if there were ever a spread that could lift you from your “love lifts us up where we belong” drudgery, it would be that gorgeous herb-focused spread near the back of the issue. (Like I said, it was a long hold time.)
I immediately had to make it. All of it. And I can see I am not the only one. But to start, let’s talk about this recipe, something I think everyone in the entire world should have in their repertoire: Flatbread.
More cracker than bread, this stuff is dreamy. It comes together in about 15 seconds flat, bakes in about 10 minutes and if you don’t live in our apartment, will hopefully last a bit longer. It’s the perfect thing to scoop any summer salad or vegetable dish, including the one I’ll tell you about tomorrow (tease!). I also think it could be a great hostess gift, for all of you angling for invites to beach houses this Labor Day weekend. If you arrived at mine with this, a wedge of cheese and a bottle of wine, I’d never let you leave.
If only I actually had a beach house. I’ll get right on that.
Crisp Rosemary Flatbread
- 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil plus more for brushing
- Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a large, wide bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Use your hands to gently knead dough inside the bowl 4 or 5 times, until it comes together in a semi-smooth ball.
Divide dough into 3 large or 6 smaller pieces and roll out one piece at a time on an unfloured counter, to about 10-inch (for larger pieces of dough) or 7-inch rounds (smaller pieces) — shape can be rustic; dough should be thin. Lift flatbread onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. I can sometimes squeeze 6 small flatbreads on a half-sheet pan; sometimes I need to bake 1 to 2 in a second batch.
Lightly brush tops with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top (if using), pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating flatbreads if needed on the pan for even color. Let cool then break into pieces.
Do ahead: Flatbread can be made up to 4 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
I’ve never made flatbread at home before, but you have such a lovely knack for finding recipes that are both completely tempting and seem very approachable. I look at that ingredient list and find myself thinking “yes indeed, why HAVEN’T I made flatbread?”
The hubby and I are having a friday night in tonight, so perhaps I’ll raid my hearty fire-escape rosemary plant and attempt some flatbread.
Delicious! I love flatbreads with salads.
That issue of Gourmet was one of the best EVER…and I, too, have made most everything in the section on herbs, including this flatbread! I used white whole wheat flour…it was *so* delicious! Can’t wait to see what you used yours to scoop up. :)
Yessssssss … I knew I held onto that fresh rosemary for some meaningful purpose. Delicious homemade flatbread, here I come! :-D
Do you have any suggestions about switching to whole wheat flour? Maybe half and half?
Ooh! I was looking for something to make for tonight for the bf and myself. Told him I would be slaving all day – hah, ten minutes should do it! And I looooove rosemary :o)
You know…? You’re just charming. Here’s a suggestion to help save sanity..buy a home phone that has a speaker on it and then you can do other meaninful tasks while the speaker plays those ‘old tunes’.. when the customer service/tech rep (I’m guessing here) answers, you can pick up your phone to have the conversation.
Wow I can’t believe I have made a recipe BEFORE you! I made this a month or so ago after it first was published. I brought it to a family gathering and it disappeared in literally 15 minutes– the whole batch! Like Amy, I used white whole wheat flour and it was delicious. I also was a little short on the fresh rosemary so I added some fresh oregano too and it was a good choice. My pizza stone worked really well too, since I found myself without any parchment paper. This is definitely an excellent, simple recipe to have around.
Yes yes….the issue made me swoon and I went outside and raided the basil to make a basil parmesan version that was delightful and like that god awful movie….gone in 60 seconds.
But oh so worth it…..
I’m going to go buy this magazine the moment I get off work… flatbreads with dinner tonight! Whoo!
I wonder if you could make this on a pizza stone?
Hmmm, I think this goes perfectly with what we’re having for dinner tonight. I don’t know what that dinner will be, but it will go with flatbread no matter what, because this sounds so yummy and easy. Though I may do different herbs, since I have a sneaking suspicion that I don’t have any rosemary.
I miss getting Gourmet :(
I’ve only made flatbread once before, but anything with rosemary must be added to my to-make-as-soon-as-possible list, so I guess I’ll be trying this soon!
MMMMMMM looks delicious! I love flatbread but I never even thought about making it myself. This is definitely getting bookmarked and tried out next week (after I go to the grocery store again).
I imagine you can roll this out larger and cut it into rectangles or any shape..right?
Would be fun during the holidays to cut into shapes, that is, if you can.
Oh dear me! I was just out in the garden, frankly a little PO’d that EVERYTHING I PLANTED SUCKS, except for the lovely rosemary and a little basil. Perfect use for my rosemary friends! And yes, I am angling for that Labor Day invite to the Maine beach house! Cheese? check. Wine? check. Flatbread? need to bake!
You know, I really love a good flatbread. When I lived in Italy and was pathetically broke, I came up with an easy (and cheap) recipe for an herbed, crisp flatbread that my roommates and I lived on. We were at culinary school over there and one of them is now a professional chef, but she recently called me saying she was craving that bread i used to make. I love your version! I think I will definitely try it out.
Sounds delicious! I’ll have to give it a try – thanks!
That’s a beautiful looking flatbread! I’ve wanted to do something similar for a while, but I keep saying later, later….now with a great looking recipe, I have no excuse to keep postponing it
I’m with you Kiki. My herbs were awful this year! Often times I had to buy them at the market.
I’ve been making this recipe since the magazine came out. Very easy and very good. I’ve taken to doing other flavorings as well. I’ve made garlic flatbread, black pepper flatbread, and curry flatbread. They all tasted great. Just substitute the 1 tbsp of rosemary in the bread with 1 tbsp of any flavoring. I’m going to try dill and basil (pesto?) next, also maybe onion.
BTW, I make mine on my pizza stone, works great!
I had to comment on this recipe. SO delicious, and it looks so easy! I have everything at home, and I’m making these babies tonight.
This is fantastic! You weren’t kidding when you said this was recipe was easy! I just whipped these beautiful flatbreads out in about 15 minutes. I’ve been a devoted fan of this site for quite some time now and this is exactly why (oh and not to mention the amazing photography and witty writing)!
I totally love a good flatbread. I only get it when we eat out and the restaurant has it. As much as I bake I have never thought to make it myself!! It could be dangerous to have in the house. I would eat it all! It would be the perfect base for fresh Lettuce Salads with vegies and a vinegar/oil dressing !! MMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
I’ll be giving this a try soon. Thanks for another to add to my folder of recipes!
Ya know, I actually just used fresh rosemary for the first time the other day. I was trying out my bread machine. Maybe I should use the rest on this!
I am going to a Cheese Club. I think these crackers would be the perfect contribution.
That sounds fabulous! I’m always looking for ways to incorporate rosemary into my cooking.
Does it have to be parchment paper? How about silpats?
So I made this for breakfast (yes, your photographs really are that tempting!) and it was DELISH! I sprinkled it with some grated parmigiano reggiano for an extra salty bite. I can’t believe I didn’t finish it all!
The bread looks delicious but I want that blue bowl. That’s GORGEOUS! I love the richness of the color and thickness of the glass. Please disclose where that was purchased. Thank you so much in advance.
My sis just made this on her tv/website show! She’s eating it now! You inspired her (Justopia) to make it and now I’m going to try the recipe tomorrow. My sis broadcasts live 5 nights a week!
I bet these would be good to make quick flatbread goat cheese pizzas. I love rosemary with goat cheese.
Hmmmm. I love rosemary – and I am addicted to Gourmet mag but have been away a lot and not cooking for various reasons. This inspires me.
i have a beach house come on over we will make a batch. how do you think it would be on the grill….
I adore rosemary and flat bread so will have to try this version. Saving up big time for the Maine house overlook the ocean, where it is nice and cool. A girl can dream, can’t she.
As Jane M commented above, I made the flat bread last night after checking in to read the blog and it was simple, quick and DEElicious! It took no time at all and was the perfect accompaniment to my dinner.
I think anyone that has an aversion to baking bread should start with this one. It requires no resting times and really no kneading like with yeast breads. I used black salt to top mine. It’s the only sea salt I have in the pantry right now and I like the way black salt looks on light food.
The Smitten Kitchen always inspires me!
Haha!! So sorry about the awful “hold music” – I’ve dealt with that as well, on the phone ;0)
I’m quite intimidated by baking bread, but you make it look so flawless and easy!!
Dear Brooklynbee. Yes, I have made this on a pizza stone, and to paraphrase Seinfeld “Yes, they’re real, and they were fantastic!â€
I like everyone else posted here really enjoy this blog, but can I suggest something. Those among us that have actually tried the recipes share their experiences. I would enjoy hearing about successes and failures – I find it would contribute to the collective Smitten Borg Mentality. I see people post questions but none seem to answer or care past seeing their names in lights. Let me be the first to repent.
I made this flatbread also and you’re right it is sooooo delicious. I served it as a starter with the goat cheese & olives from the same article and it was a real hit! Everyone begged for the recipe! I’ve made it twice since then….. Oh yeah…love the blog!
Made this soon after reading the blog entry, with items I had on hand. Added cilantro, crushed pistachios andslivered sundried tomatoes in oil to flatbread base recipe . Served up with cilantro and jalapeno hummus. I know, sounds like a lot of different flavors going on but it was delicious!!! Recipe really does seem to be a good base for most flavors. So easy with great results! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you for posting this – I’m allergic to yeast and fermented products (breads, wines, cheeses, beer, etc.) and finding bread alternatives for the carb lover that I am is very hard – especially things I can bake at home. I’ve added this recipe to my selection now to alleviate the boredom that is tortillas!!
Are you serious!? Something this … gourmet, (I mean it was out of Gourmet Magazine!) is that easy?!
I have amazing flatbread on my counter to prove it!
How can that be so easy?!
Thanks for posting this. And once again making something that seems so daunting and intermediate, so simple and such a yummy lunch! (Im having flatbread pizzas, with yard fresh toms and basil to impress the hubby boy)
MK
P.S. And yes, I did this on my pizza stone too. I still used parchment ..well wax paper as I didn’t know how to get the rolled dough from the surface to the stone otherwise. I figured out after to roll the dough ON the stone.
~She’s not that bright. But she’s cute! *Grins*
Yum…I keep saying that.
This takes me back to my childhood, whenever my mother would bake a pie with a savory crust. My brothers and sister and I would all crowd into the kitchen and hang out, waiting for the freshly baked salt crackers she’d make with the trimmings of the pie crust. *Sigh*
There’s something intoxicating about the smell of freshly baked pastry.
Try flake salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Or parma. reg. with cracked black pepper. Or chopped black olives, fresh oregano and some of those oven roasted tomatoes…
I usually use a store-bought flatbread to make all kind of pizzas at home. Thanks for making this look so easy – I will certainly have to make my own next time.
This was a great recipe! I changed the flour to whole grain organic and ate it with eggs(over medium) and i dont think you could get any better than that!
I am giving it a try with dried figs mixed into the dough and serve it with some cheese. This is going to be one of those recipes that you can adapt to whatever you need.
I made this today. It was so easy and so FAST, and so tasty too. I love this recipe. I didn’t have rosemary, so I used some dry tuscan herbs, added some thyme and infused a touch of garlic into oil. It was wonderful.
Tip: The dough is very moist with oil, (it keeps it from being sticky) I covered my rolling pin with several revolutions of plastic wrap and it rolled out beautifully. I did need to roll against the flap side of the plastic wrap, so it wouldn’t unroll, no problem there either. I did this to keep the garlic and herb flavors from getting residue on my rolling pin since I don’t wash my pin. (as I was told not to do by all the family bakers ready with their advice!) I wouldn’t want those flavors cropping up in my dessert pastries in the event I couldn’t wipe all the residue off.
@Jenifer from Houston: I have a blue glass bowl like that and I got mine at Cost Plus, which I believe is called “Cost Plus World Market” in Texas. I know there’s one in Austin so there should be one in Houston.
Off to make me some rosemary flatbread now!
Looks good and easy. Too bad I’m not at home, where we have a huge rosemary bush. But I have a pretty exciting/daunting task ahead of me: stocking my very own kitchen! And unlike most college kids, ramen and Easy Mac aren’t on the shopping list…
Ooo, this reminds me of the homemade herb crackers I made awhile back. I love rosemary in bread products!!
http://straightfromthefarm.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/artisan-herb-crackers/
Just an aside for all of you herb-growing-challenged readers, my 92-yr-old grandmother (who is NEVER wrong, I might add) has often said that “…only a bitch can grow rosemary!” I don’t know where this old wive’s tale comes from, but I believe it must be true since both my grandmother and I have absolutely gorgeous, flourishing rosemary bushes all over our gardens!!
p.s. I have old friends visiting tomorrow and I hope to whip up some yummy flatbreads before they arrive.
oh LORD this is amazing. Some of my less-than-sane friends organize a food challenge dinner where they pick one ingredient and assign courses to each couple (and me, solo… sigh) and you have to incorporate said ingredient, with some very fascinating combos – you try putting pork in a dessert. (chocolate caramels with a hunk of bacon in the middle – actually really good) So this time we’re challenged with nectarines and I was going to make a nectarine salsa with cilantro but I have all this gorgeous basil on the deck. So I swapped the rosemary for basil and added a bit of honey to pair with the nectarine-basil salsa. It’s so good I ate the whole first cracker when it came out of the oven and realized I needed to make a second batch. Thanks for sharing Deb!
wow, nice flat bread… I do make flat breads but only plain… mixing it with herbs such a good idea.. thanks for the post… such an inspiration.
YUM!
I am making this tonight to take to Sunday dinner. I can’t wait to get reviews from the family. I plan to stop by the market to get an assortment of cheeses. Oh boy! I’m really excited about this flatbread and some good red wine. Divine!
This is my kind of recipe! I’ll be making this today. And I agree with everyone who has said, just add cheese and a bottle of wine!
MMM, looks delicious. I’m a huge flatbread fan, I have some red-lentil dal in the fridge that would be great with some flatbread!
Just made the flatbread, but mine did not come out ‘cracker crisp’. What did I do wrong? I followed the directions exactly!
Perhaps some additional baking time would have helped? Was it browned when you took it out? Ovens vary so much, it’s my first thought.
To Deb: It was brown around the edges. Maybe I didn’t roll it thin enough. I’ll give it another try soon!
I am such a rosemary junkie, I think I have to try it – it seems so completely approachable.
I love rosemary… <3
You’re more than welcome to come up to my country house if you bring this along with that eggplant dealie and some cheese! ;-)
This looks amazing! I’ll have to try this one. : )
So I DID make these last Friday, and they were delicious. This recipe is a going to be a regular in our house. Solves the age-old question, “What do we smear our goat cheese on?” Is that not the age-old question? Must just be me.
I made these yesterday to bring to a family dinner to go along with smoked trout pate. They are phenomenal and impressed the heck out of everyone. The key to these being nice and crispy is making sure the baking sheet is HOT before putting the dough on it. A definite keeper! Thanks, Deb! I love your site! :)
I made this yesterday and thought it was really good, and just as easy as promised. It was a spur of the moment thing, so I didn’t have any appropriate fresh herbs. Instead, I heated the oil with some dried herbs before adding it to the dough. Also, I forgot to brush the rolled dough with oil and sprinkle with salt, and I only just saw that I was supposed to preheat the baking sheet. So apparently, next time the crackers will be even better, which will be fun.
I don’t have parchment. What else should I use? Or what else can I do?
Thanks!
I can almost smell them from here. They look divine and so very simple. Can’t wait to make them. Thank you for the inspiration. I have been reading your blog for a few months and you have been very inspiring. Happy Cooking!
I think it’s fate that I came across this today! I’ve been in love with some flatbread that I got at the grocery store, and I was just thinking about how I’d love to make it at home. Yea!
It’s funny, because I was just wondering this weekend if there are any recipes out there for crackers. This comes pretty darn close. Thanks!
Deb, I made the Rosemary Flatbread today on my gas grill! YUM! I oiled both sides as well as oiled the grill grates and made 6 crackers for easier transfer to the grill. Preheated the grill for at least 15 minutes. Got all of them on at the same time. They cook really quickly on the grill. Thanks for a keeper! I think I’ll try them with thyme next time.
We got back from a weekend away and the last thing I felt like doing was cooking, but after seeing your beautiful pictures and reading your blog, I just had to make this! We have a rosemary bush in the yard that is going crazy, and everything else in the pantry… it was meant to be! I can’t believe how easy it was, and SO delicious! Thanks, Deb for being so inspiring! I will be making this again and again!
this is getting made, tonight, to go along with that end of summer bounty that’s been piling up in my vegetable crisper- diced cucumber, radish, carrot, cherry tomtoes and feta, all tossed with plenty of scallions, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. it will be perfect.
as for waiting on hold, i can’t tell you what a difference a headset makes. i either do dishes or knit (two activities i must do, but don’t like to), so it doesn’t feel like a total waste of time.
Made it with part whole-wheat flour – still yummy! Dont undercook them! Going to top them with pizza toppings (fresh garden basil and toms) if I have enough left!
This looks yummy. I wonder what it would taste like made with sesame oil instead of olive oil and no rosemary…
The rosemary is running rampant in my garden right now, and I’m desperately looking for ways to use it up. Well, that and the zucchini. Too bad I can’t use the two of them together. In the mean time, I can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Also, because I can’t resist a pun, I was putty in your hands when you said that it came together in “15 seconds flat”. Love it.
I made this fabulous flatbread first for myself and then two days later for a party (yep, it’s that good!) The dip that I served it with for the party (a yummy pea and goat cheese spread from Vegetarian Times) called for garlic olive oil, so the day before I made it all I crushed two cloves of garlic into a ramekin, poured olive oil over it, and put it in the refrigerator to develop flavor. I had some leftover garlic olive oil after making the dip, so I used it on top of the flatbread in place of regular olive oil. Yum, it was even better than the first batch!
Here is my variation on this recipe: After making the dough (to which I add 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper), I divide it into 12 pieces. (They weigh approx. 35 gr. each). I put each piece through my pasta machine on #6 and then lay the pieces out on parchment on a pizza peel. Cover with wax paper and roll very lightly and gently to thin just a tad. After brushing each flatbread lightly with olive oil, I slide the parchment off the peel on to the preheated baking sheet in the oven. They are a big hit for a wine-time snack! I was interested to read that someone makes them with white whole wheat flour and next time I will try that.
I made this flat bread over the weekend as a pizza crust. I added goat cheese, crab, artichoke, and roasted pepper spread as my “sauce”. It turned out great. Thanks Deb.
hi – i made this today using whole wheat flour (100%) and thyme (that’s what i had in the herb garden) and everyone loves them. i always use whole wheat flour and found it fine for this. i did have to be careful to really roll it out as thin as possible but even though the first one was thicker it was still good. i think we’ll be making this very often.
I made this and didn’t love it, sorry :-(. I think I rolled to the correct thinness, and used the parchment paper, etc. as directed. They just weren’t quite crispy enough for me– a bit bendy in the centers. I would have cooked them longer but the edges were already quite brown. I also thought they could have used a little more salt or something as they were kind of floury and bland. My failing might have been with the olive oil– i used a spray can (and not generously), rather than brushed, and I think this might have affected crispness.
thoughts? maybe cutting into smaller pieces, for more browning?
Two questions:
1. How does one make the dough not stick to the rolling pin?
2. How does one make the rosemary actually stick in the dough without all falling off the second you break it up?
So I made these with fresh chives, a sprinkling of dried thyme, whole wheat flour, and a bit of extra sea salt, and served them with salmon ceviche, pickled tomatillos, and guacamole. It was amazing. They translate to whole wheat quite well!
This looks gorgeous, Deb. Love the little sprigs of rosemary that are still clinging to the flatbread!
I made this tonight – it was heavenly! I had to restrain myself from eating it all in one go.
I’ve made this heaps now, it’s now one of my stock recipes for those fun, lazy, nibbly evenings with friends. But actually, I also tried it as a pizza base, and it was great! [because I hate waiting for dough to rise, and this was as quick as a blink] It tastes wonderful with lashings of cream cheese and roasted capsicum and cashew pesto.
So, thank you for the wounderfulness. I love, love, love this recipe (and so does anybody who tries it).
I made this last night for the first time, and I was a little surprised by the flakiness. I like it, and I’m curious to try it with toppings. I loved the rosemary flavor!
A made another batch of the feta salsa (kept it pure this time) and followed the link to the flatbread. Using a hot pizza stone was a great tip from one of your followers. It was crisp throughout and nicely flakey. I’m already regretting not making a double batch. But it was so quick and easy…tonight:-)
I promised the family homemade pizza last night, but didn’t realize I was out of yeast, and I didn’t want to go back to the store. So we made flatbread pizzas! This dough was perfect, we cooked it until very lightly browned, then added our toppings, then put it back in the oven. Yum, yum. Though not as filling as a regular pizza, the flavor was much better. Thanks again, Deb!
Great recipe, thanks. That’s the first time I’ve cooked bread and it turned out fine!
scrumdiddles!!! I ground up a bunch of different grains and made this as you said, and it turned out fantastic!!! THANK YOU!!
Just wanted to say thanks so much for this recipe. I’ve made it a bunch of times now. I really love it. Made some yesterday morning to give to a friend with some tapenade. Woke up this morning wondering why I stupidly didn’t save myself even a small piece and just got finished making a batch all for myself. So good and so easy. We’re definitely going to do a pizza next.
Just made the flatbread about an hour ago–so delicious–we gobbled it up with a chicken liver pate. Really eye-opening and inspiring. Thanks for posting the recipe! Can’t wait to make for my family at Easter.
These are great. I found I needed to reduce the salt and also be careful to really roll them out thinly or they can be a bit less crunchy. I made them with dill and served with home made gravlox – a big hit and they are still great the second day if kept in a zip lock bag – they do not loose the crispyness!
Painfully easy with great results! Turned out perfect using a pizza stone and no parchment paper. I recommend making Paula Wolfert’s hummus recipe to dip the flatbreads. Kept really well in a sealed container throughout the week.
Made this last night for bunco – the girls were impressed. And ate it all!!! Husband liked it too – and of course, started thinking of variations for it! :)
I was impressed with how easy it was to make these – and that they came out so delicious!
I made this for the moms in my playgroup and it went over very well, especially with the vegan mom. These were very easy to make and totally recommended!
This looks yumm! I’m going to attempt to make it tonight for a potluck. Any ideas on dip or ac compliments to the bread?
we made it with some sesame seeds, oregano, and garlic… cooked it for just a few minutes then topped it pizza style. So good!
This flatbread sounds like just the bread to attempt on my maiden bread-making endevour! I’ll be trying it out tomorrow, for my mom, a herb bread lover. Really hope it’ll turn out well!
I made these this weekend with tarragon and chopped, rosted, sweet onion. Very good, but I overbaked the edges. Also, it needs a sprinkle of salt before baking, which the recipe says but I omitted and I shouldn’t have. I have been enjoying it all -even the burnt and saltless pieces- with home-made hummus and will definately make this agian.
Just came across this recipe tonight. Guess what’s in the oven right now (at 11:45pm!!). Yum!!!!!!
Just made my second batch of this in a week…my husband and I both love it. Tried it with whole wheat flour this go round and it’s fine but a little too heavy for my taste. Might try a mix of white and wheat flour next time.
And while the first batch had terrific flavor, it was not at all crispy and I had left it in for at least 20 minutes. I think the altitude here in Mexico City might be a factor, but would that really affect a bread that doesn’t rise?
Truly, it’s a small complaint because it is disappearing rapidly…gotta run to get my share :)
I found this recipe after trying some delicious commercial (small bakery) rosemary flatbread. This recipe makes even better flatbread! Thanks!
I’m pregnant, and have been in a baking mood lately. I discovered your website this morning, tackled the homemade marshmallows earlier today, started the dough for graham crackers, and was hungry/bored at about 11:00 tonight, so decided to see what other yummy recipes were on your site, and found the flatbread recipe by clicking “Surprise Me” a couple times… I’m eating it now… lol! Very good, and just as easy as you said!
Made this tonight to go with fresh cheese. Unfortunately the cheese hasn’t drained enough yet, but the flatbread turned out well. The first two were a little thick and the last two were a little thin, but that just means next time I make them they should be perfect, right? This is my first time making any type of flatbread, so I’m pretty happy with the result (and somewhat impressed with myself). I do like the rosemary, but my hubby isn’t a huge fan, so I might try oregano or some type of seeds next time. Thanks for inspiring me to try something new, smitten!
I love fresh rosemary! I saw this recipe and just had to make the rosemary flatbread. I avoid using refined grains, so I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour. (Whole wheat pastry flour is usually a great substitute for all-purpose flour in almost any recipe. In this case I suspect regular whole wheat flour would work as well.) The recipe was very easy to follow and produced a beautiful batch of flatbread. Overall I found the flatbread to be yummy, so much so that before the second flatbread had finished baking, I’d nibbled my way through half of the first cooling flatbread. On the first flatbread, I found that I had not rolled it thin enough and it took about 15 minutes to bake. And for the next two that I rolled out properly thin (really thin), I found 12 minutes to be optimal. (I am also at about 4800 ft elevation, so that may have impacted my baking time? Maybe I should have increased the temperature?) Although I found these flatbreads to be very yummy, I also thought they were very dry. I will probably make them again, but will expect to serve them with something with more liquid to help offset the dryness. Thanks again Smitten Kitchen!
I have had this recipe bookmarked for a long time and finally made it today. I put all the bread in at once (2 on a baking sheet and 1 on a stone). The one of the stone did not get crisp and brown on bottom like the ones on the stone, but they all taste very good. This is so easy and delicious, can’t wait to make it again!
Just found this site. Very fun! My turn to bring the letter snack to preschool this week. I made this recipe to create little crackers using dog and duck playdoh cookie cutters. My son asked for these for D week at preschool. They are going to smear a little Nutella on them for “dirty’ dogs and ducks. Thanks.
I have to post that I love this recipe. I am absolutely hooked and have made this dozens of times – it takes about 15 minutes start to finish and I’ve got the recipe memorized by now, so it’s really a no-brainer to make with soup, salad, anything. Way tastier and healthier than store-bought crackers or snacks. If anyone out there is debating over this one, definitely go for it! It’s delicious.
I tried it as-is yesterday and it came out smashing. Boyfriend and I gobbled it up. Decided to try it with black pepper and parmesan, in the oven now. Thank you!
I am having a small dinner party tonight and I have been to the grocery too many times already. I woke up this morning and realized that I did not think of a quick bite for our pre-dinner cocktails. So, smitten kitchen to the rescue. I have everything in my kitchen to make this flatbread. So, I am on it!! thank you.
Today was raining cats and dogs here in Puerto Rico,It was cold outside (Yes we think 70 degrees is cold) When I got home from work all I could think about was my frozen cream of tomato soup, The one I learned from you and I paired it up with this flatbread, I didn’t make mine too thin I like em thick and they were perfect, Just the kind of comfort food I needed, Your blog never disappoints me, My next conquest is the challah wish me luck! <3
just made this recipe. tasted it straight out of the oven. it is perfect and sooooooo easy….
This Bread is lovely!and unbelievably simple. And what a gorgeous website – best recipes I have come across in a long time. I made these today for the man , I tried brushing them with my Garlic infused Rice Bran oil [my favorite kitchen commodity], and the slight hint was great. I served it, to be rather different, with chili con carne and fresh avocado, red onion and tomato salsa – ofcoarse with lots of grated Parmesan – the combo’s not the norm but it was a hit – been ordered to make more asap – thanks.
Oh my goodness.
I just made this recipe, in just half an hour from an empty counter to awesome bread, and it is so unbelievably GOOD!! I substituted thyme for half of the rosemary, made just one bread from the whole batch of dough and left the bread a tad thicker (had to bake it for 23 mins). It’s so flaky and crisp and made of pure awesomeness. I already devoured half the loaf with nothing but plain feta cheese and I think I might go for the second half, given that the flatmate already had dinner and the boyfriend is not going to be around for 3 more hours.
Caaaarbs…
Thanks so much! This has just qualified as a staple in my kitchen.
Aaah! I just made these, with 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour. Crispy, rich, abfab. I topped them with salt and black sesame seeds. SO good with goat’s cheese.
Just made this last night. The first one was a little too think because I didn’t realized how thin you had to roll it (still ate it, still delicious). By the third flatbread they were PERFECT!! I put a lot more rosemary on it and next time I think I will try to knead it with other spices and then put it into the oven. Had it with Italian Wedding Meatball soup and my children and husband loved it. Thanks for another great recipe. Now, I think I’ll go make your “Thick, Chewy, Granola Bars”. YUM!!
I made this for a dinner this past weekend, with a little variation on seasonings. You are right, the results are perfect. It went as beautifully with a winter meal as I imagine it did with your summer meal. It was great for an appetizer and inspired me to make up some new toppings. Do you think you can cook all of the breads at once, instead of one at a time?
A little late to the party; I’ve made this several times and it’s great. We really like Chinese scallion pancakes but they’re a pain to make and a little greasy (no chance of ever getting them in a restaurant around here). I found that the flatbread with scallions instead of rosemary worked as a great substitute, less oily and much easier to make. I picked up some “pretzel salt” a while back and that’s good on it too.
I’ve made this at least 10 times in the past 6 weeks since I discovered it. We can’t stop eating it and have wowed family and friends when we serve it freshly made in a big Italian floral napkin-lined basket for people to break off pieces. People always love to help themselves, don’t we? It is GREAT with champagne….
We made this last night but substituted Indian spices for the rosemary. We just crushed come whole coriander and mustard seeds, added a pinch of garam masala and extra pepper. They were so good! Glad to have found this quick and versatile recipe. Thanks!
Just came across this recipe and tried it immediately—my kitchen smells great! I added a little dried basil as well, and was happy with it. It goes really great with some hummus (artichoke and spinach, anyone?). It was extremely easy to make, and does look & taste impressive…I have a pretty sparse kitchen, as a poor graduate student, and this is a great recipe for me since I had all the ingredients on hand already.
Funny how life works: I just stumbled upon this recipe via Surprise Me, and as I read through it, it occurred to me that they resembled the Spanish olive oil tortas that I bought on Tuesday. (http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Olive-Oil-Tortas)
I gotta try these.
I have one baking in the oven right now. I used thyme as that’s all I had on hand. thanks!
I made this with thyme, baked it for about 8 minutes while I sauteed thinly sliced radishes and yellow squash in olive oil and salt.I also mixed some ricotta and with a dab of soy sauce and nutmeg in a bowl. Then I spread the ricotta mixture on the bread and topped it with veggies. I let the whole thingbake a few more minutes. Pure delight.
So I was looking for a savory app to bring to a party last night and came across these. It’s been ridiculously hot in Boston all week, so naturally I cranked up the oven in my not-air-conditioned oven and made them. They are dead simple and absolutely delightful. Mine were with half ap flour and half white whole wheat, and I made a batch of rosemary and a batch of black pepper. They go extremely well with goat cheese (both plain and flavored), and I cannot tell you how many people asked for the recipe. I think you’re going to have quite a few new fans, Deb! Thanks for this a-mazing recipe.
I am making these right now. Made first batch with za’atar and 3/4c whole wheat flour and when I bit into the first one thought, I just made wheat thins! They were so ridiculously easy and fast to make I whipped up a batch with rosemary, which is in the oven as I type. Thanks!
I just tried this recipe, and wow, it really is simple and delicious. Along with the rosemary, I also added some black pepper. I tried it with some sardines, and also a chunky fire-roasted tomato and zucchini dip…ohhh Heaven. I’ll continue making this flatbread and try other variations of it. Thank you Deb!
I’ve made this three times so far, with rosemary, thyme, and basil. It has been a MAJOR crowd pleaser and it’s so easy! People think it’s way more impressive than it actually is, too. Thank you for sharing a great recipe!
Friday Night Lights is hands down the best show on television. And it never gets the credit that it deserves. I can’t wait for it to start at the end of October and for the season premiere I plan on making “Football food.” Can’t wait!
I made these a couple of weeks ago and they were fantastic! Just as promised, they’re strong enough to use for dipping and light enough that they eat like a cracker. And super easy to make, too!
I’ve made this a couple of times with great success. I brought them yesterday as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and served them with a goat cheese spread. I made them the night before and although they were kept in a Ziploc they lost a little bit of their crispness. Not if there is a way around that or its just inevitable. Also, I cook mine on my baking stone and the dough often bubbles in places making them extra crumbly and messy when you crack them. I just keep my eye on them and poke the bubbles with a knife so they deflate, but wondering if anyone knows a better way to prevent the bubbles from occurring at all?
I just made these – DELICIOUS! And so easy! Good with soups and salads and also as a cracker for cheese and tomato or just butter and a glass of wine!
Thank you for sharing. :)
Kim – Only one of mine bubbled up and it was the thinnest one so maybe not rolling them out quite that much will help keep the bubbles from forming?
I have not made any other since I discovered your flatbread…No need…All my friends swoon when I say I am bringing flatbread…If they only knew how easy, they would make it themselves!!!
I absolutely LOVE this. I just made a batch–sent the picture to my bf who (loves all things bread-like and with rosemary on them). He’s now on his way home from the lab. Nothing makes him leave the lab early. Amazing.
Super easy, super delicious although thanks to the twins I forgot to add salt to the first batch. Second batch was *perfect*. I was out of parchment paper so I just rolled it out on a Silpat and it turned out perfectly. Making good use of the rosemary “tree” I received for Christmas. I would give this 6 out of 5 stars.
Hi Deb…I’m way late to the flatbread party, but I made two batches of this over the weekend (one with rosemary, and one with a sundried tomato/oregano/basil spice blend…yum!), and I have a question:
In your fourth photo, is the dough depicted there post stir or post knead? I found the dough to be pretty dry and crumbly after the initial liquid/dry ingredient mix (like, I had a hard time getting all the flour mixed into the water/oil). After kneading, it was still on the dry side, but came together enough to roll out into the rounds. The resulting flatbread was a bit floury, but very tasty. I’m just wondering if my measurements resulted in a higher dry to liquid ingredient ratio than yours (due to flour measuring, flour brand, etc…). For what it’s worth, I scooped and scraped the flour, which I think is the method you’ve said you use in previous posts.
i’ve made this twice now, and both times i forgot i was supposed to knead it, but i sort of massaged it in the bowl with a spatula until all the flour was incorporated. still came out fantastic. i’ve decided i like it better rolled out not as thin, because then it’s sort of more bread-y and soft but still crisp around the edges. and i made the second batch with fresh basil instead of rosemary, and though the rosemary flavor was very pronounced, the basil is kind of meh. will definitely make it again with the rosemary.
i love this recipe – and so surprisingly simple! a friend of the family gave us a huge rosemary plant (that thankfully is actually lasting through all the snow here in brooklyn)….and i can’t stop using it in everything i make – i just never tire of it! …your blog is fabulous, thanks for the endless inspiration!
wow…your good
Delicious! Made with herbs de provence and cut up into cracker shapes pre-baking. Fantastic with goat cheese.
I’ve made this recipe– it was one of my best received homemade crackers and my sister proclaimed it her favorite cracker ever, just under goldfish, which I consider an achievement. I’d bake it again but I managed to set off our WAAAY too sensitive fire alarm so I am a little nervous about that– they weren’t even burning and only mildly browned!
I’m going to have to try your homemade goldfish next and also see if I can make my own fish-shaped cookie cutter in my jewelry and metalsmithing class this semester.
i want only soup in cold and my mother made different types of soup on my growing stage. i had been trying Crisp Rosemary Flatbread when i read this post few days back and its amazing and my another favorite after soup.
We made these on the grill tonight (cooking for a bit on a baking sheet first). They didnt crisp up and they were a bit dry. Still good and worth trying again though. I think they’d make a nice pizza base… very flaky and almost pastry like.
I brought this to my friend’s wine tasting last night. I doubled the recipe, and had to put three in the oven at once so we wouldn’t be late, and I ran out of olive oil at 1/2 cup and had to fill up the last sixth with vegetable oil, and I didn’t have time to push in little sprigs, and I ran out of parchment paper on bread four, so had to reuse a few, and the papers were singed and my kitchen smelled of smoke BUT THE FLATBREAD WAS AMAZING!
I’ve made these twice– both times, it was meant as a snack, but it ended up replacing dinner, since we couldn’t stop eating them!
Not having parchment paper OR a heavy-duty baking sheet, I instead cooked these in cast iron skillets. It was really easy to get them crispy in preheated cast iron!
I used a trick from hand-rolling pasta and tortillas to get these thin enough– make the dough into little balls and let it relax. Roll it out part of the way, let it relax more. Roll it out again! The dough won’t fight the rolling pin if it gets a chance to chill out.
This is a delightfully simple recipe and is delicious with other seasoning combinations as well (a bit of roasted garlic, a tablespoon of pesto, etc.) Thank you for sharing this one, I have tried a few others but this is the best!
I made this last night- it was supposed to be a snack, but like Rachel, ended up being dinner! What an absolutely wonderful and simple recipe. Thank you for sharing!
It looks like a keeper for my recipe file. Will make a great gift along with some sharp extra-old cheddar cheese and a jar of homemade antipasto. Yum.
I just finished making this, and its delicious! Goes great with the bratwurst for our German themed dinner. So glad I found this, probably the easiest flat bread recipe out there. Thanks for sharing!!
Okay, so not the most pleasant circumstances, but I’ve been feeling a little ill due to a medical procedure and instructed not to eat much aside from white bread. I decided on a whim to make these; I’d had them bookmarked for ages.
Holy yum! I divided the dough into fours (to fit onto 2 baking sheets) and tried different seasonings on each–one with garlic salt/rosemary, one with fresh cracked pepper and parmesan folded in, one as written, etc.
These are so tasty and easy and I’m thanking you dearly for the break from saltines! I’ll be making these many many more times.
Made these over the weekend with dried dill weed! It seemed a little bit on the oily side but the thinner ones did bubble up like the flatbreads I my family used to buy at St. Urbain’s and I consider that a good thing.
I made these Sunday night following the recipe to a t. I have experimented with many different flatbreads trying to find a light and crispy one for a pizza and this indeed was finally it! Nice and light and simply wonderful. I added a lemon tahini sauce on top of each flatbread and then topped them with olives, onion, and mushroom and it made a very tasty elegant pizza. Thanks for sharing!
Mine came out more like biscuits :-( Any tips?
Are you ever bowled over by how many people continue to find your recipes years after you posted them?
I’m one of those people. I’ve challenged myself this season to *finally* start making some of these recipes I see and get inspired by. Fifty recipes is my goal, and this is one of the first I tried (wrote about it: http://foodanddo.lindsaybeeson.com/2011/10/08/day-18-of-101-chipping-away-at-my-fifty-recipes/).
I loved them on day one, and loved them even more on days two and three, when I popped them in the toaster to freshen them up.
I’m tempted to make them pull duty as sandwich slices, maybe on either side of fresh vegetables and herbed greek yogurt …
could i use whole wheat flower
I did 1 C WW pastry flour, 3/4 C all-purpose, worked great! My toddler found it irresistible. We loved it with our beef stew.
Absolutely delicious and too easy to be true! Quicker than going to the shops to buy crackers for a party. Have a batch in the oven right now and can’t wait to make more!
I made this for the first time for this year’s thanksgiving to go with Brie en Croute. Awesome. Perhaps my oven runs hot and I probably had uneven rolling, so there were not just brown spots, but more like burn spots. I brought church refreshments this past Sunday and opted to make these crackers to go with the spinach dip, instead of the store bought cracker options. Made 3 batches. I originally mixed up a double batch, but multi-tasking is not my strong suit, and two of my flat breads were in the oven too long and were brown, hence, made another batch. Love how EASY this flat bread is to whip up. For these last three batches, I baked it at 425 degrees, and was able to avoid the burnt spots, and did not pre-bake the pan, crackers still came out golden, and had many people raving about it and wanting the recipe. My daughter declared it her comfort food. Thank you!
Just made these and they are delicious, thank you so much for sharing! I added about a tablespoon of extra oil (used EVOO) and skipped the rosemary but topped with a middle eastern blend of spices called Za’tar. Very similar to a traditional bread my husband’s family makes back in Lebanon. The second round is baking now with cinnamon sugar on top :) Thank you again, LOVE your site. My Pinterest board is full of your recipes!
Just found this site and recipe. I made this morning and they are lovely. For the next batch will use for pizza, thanks so much for sharing.
Needed crackers for appetizers and did not want to deal with grocery store traffic on Christmas Eve, this is easy and tasty! Thank you…
Well. I made them. I rolled them a little thick so they were like tiny 1/8 inch thick biscuits and my oh my they are delectable! I am serving them with cheese, and a wine infused chicken, the recipe of which is found at http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/2010/05/wine-infused-beer-can-chicken.html. Thanks for the easy, delicious and great recipe! Marilyn
Quite good. I made a double batch and cooked them directly on a stone. Half of them I sprinkled parm cheese and the other half I made exactly as written. Both were quite good. I think a dipping oil would work well as a topping too.
Thanks for the great recipe.
My oven exploded while I was preheating (yes, sparks flew out the vent under the door), so I found myself cooking the flatbread on the grill outside. What a success! I rolled the dough out on foil instead of parchment & kept the lid on the grill while they cooked. This would make a great addition to a summer BBQ.
My friend just introduced me to your blog yesterday and I found this recipe and had to try it! I have never made bread before and I saw that someone had made a comment that this was a great recipe to try for someone scared to try to make bread. I just finished baking the first one and I just had to come rush back to say thank you for sharing this! It was so good and so so easy! I didn’t have fresh rosemary so I just used dried and it was still delicious! Time to get the second one out of the oven!
I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Your photos are gorgeous and your recipe choices are wonderful. I’ll be checking here daily!
Thanks again
I thought I should add that being the lazy, “owner of few cooking utensils” cook that I am… I don’t have parchment paper or a rolling pin- I just smooshed the ALL the dough into one huge messy rectangle directly onto a non-stick cookie sheet. I didn’t even brush olive oil onto the top. AND IT WAS STILL PHENOMENAL!
Do you know how similar this recipe is to knish dough? I’m getting ideas here!
It only took me a week but I found what I was looking for for you! Check out Joe Pastry; he did an entire drool-worthy series about knishes. I skimmed it mostly; I haven’t had time to go through and see if there’s even anything I could add to the conversation, as he covered the topic so well. But man, that guy knows his stuff. The photos are gorgeous. The technique is fascinating. And! He suggests ways you can use schmaltz instead of oil in the dough (or, I bet, cut in butter). If you’re itching to make them, I think you should start with him. And then let me know your results!
I make this recipe now about once a month and always as one of my app’s if guests come over. EVERYONE raves on it. I usually serve with some kind of spreadable dip, the latest of which is Spicy Ceci Bean Puree from Epicurious. Super simple recipe like this one also. I like to roll dough as thin as I can so it’s a cracker like and crisp as possible. Getting ready to make a double batch for a wine tasting we are hosting at home tonight. So glad my hubby discovered your site. Keep up the great work!
Holy yum. This is fantastic!!! I just made this to have on hand in lieu of dinner after we hit the cheese market on our block later today (flatbreads + French triple cream + honey + walnuts = can’t even fathom how good it will be). Thanks for another simple, classy recipe!
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who had been conducting a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner due to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this subject here on your web page.
Oh, Deb, you sweetheart… you’ve taken care of this for me, now! I’m just getting back to this since our last conversation; I thought if I went on and on about it, you’d either get fed up with me and ignor my yammering or make them in defense! I’m glad I prodded just a little :) I found Joe on your good reads list and have haunted his site since. He is currently one of my daily reads. Thanks for all you do for us..for me!
Susan — I made them just for you! :)
I knew that ;)
Just made them for an after school snack :) The kids LOVED them!
Just made this for Easter apps for tomorrow and had to snack on them a little bit tonight… so good! Made a second batch with WW flour and had to add a little extra water and EVOO. Whipped up a batch of roasted garlic hummus to go with, and mmm mm good! I think bleu cheese and white wine would be a good combo as well. Thank you for such a great and easy recipe!
In a pinch, frozen puff pastry works as a knish dough. It’s possible to find pareve (non-dairy/non-meat) dough in the Kosher frozen food section or at a Kosher butcher or grocery store. The filling is really what counts, and the frozen dough is so convenient!
I just wanted to let you know that you are the absolute fantasticist (not a work, I know) for this recipe. I make these at least once a week. They usually last about, oh, a day. I’ve made a couple of varieties too. My favorite so far has been substituting italian seasoning for rosemary. Substituting honey for olive oil and putting in about a 1/3 cup of sunflower seeds and then sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top is awesome, too (if you’re feeling adventurous; it tastes like a not-so-sweet cookie).
You don’t ever need parchment paper, it just makes baking easier. I sometimes make my own by oiling a brown paper bag with olive oil. You can bake on aluminum foil or right on a baking sheet with the same results, parchment just makes it easier to remove from the pan and prevents any sticking. With this recipe being half oil you shouldn’t need anything. TASTY!
I just made these and they came out delicious! I was serving ratatouille tonight, and didn’t have time to make fresh bread… these were the perfect solution, as they were done in 20 minutes, and everyone loved them. I can’t wait to try more toppings, maybe flax/sesame seeds?
Okay, I’m making fish chowder tonight (it’s currently 7pm and it’s not yet started) and thought “Rosemary flatbread! That’s what I need to go with it!” Man oh man, came here and yes, of course, that’s where I read it. Yikes. And thanks!
Any thoughts on putting toppings on this and making it pizza like?
Hi Saloni — I think it is too crisp and cracker-like. I have a bunch of pizza and dough recipes here, if you’re looking for inspiration.
I tried this with 100% whole wheat flour, you know to feel less guilty about eating the whole thing! But in a word: don’t! The texture was grainy and unappetizing. In fact I tried to feed some to the ducks in the park, and they rejected it, I admit I was a little insulted. Will try again with all purpose flour!
I tried this a couple days ago. It wasn’t the highlight of my cracker recipes. It was reminiscent of pie dough for me. I love homemade crackers! I love your site! Thanks for all the inspiration!
Love this recipe (my sister also says it is her favorite cracker) and I love making it. I set off the smoke alarm with it once (sensitive system, things weren’t browed yet), so now I’m very careful. I’ll say that I have made this recipe also a couple of times with some bulk cheese powder and it is delicious that way, too. Akin to homemade cheese-its but glorious.
Just made these this afternoon, and wanted to comment on using whole wheat flour. I mill my own, so the texture is much different than whole wheat that’s been sitting on the shelf. I used 100% freshly milled wheat, a mixture of both soft white and hard red. Didn’t use the rosemary since these were going w/a basil dip, and didn’t want to have competing flavors. Also, made smaller and cooked in a cast iron skillet (too hot to use oven here, today!) They were amazing!!! I could control the crispiness when doing on the stovetop. I also brushed each with olive oil and sprinkled sea salt before cooking. Love, love, love!! I bet you could use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour in these entirely. Thanks for the recipe!!
What good ideas, Crystal.x
These are great… Just finished making them now! Sitting down to a bowl of yummy homemade curried pumpkin soup and the flatbread. I’ve made it a teeny bit thicker so I could slice down the middle and insert a slab of butter… Is that bad???!!! Thanks for sharing
I made this recipe the other night and tried a variation that comes from my home country (India), salt and anise seeds. Its a popular breakfast food in the north of India and my grandmother used to make it for me when I was a child.
Its delicious.
Took this and the feta salsa to a lunch with friends this afternoon and was asked a couple of times where I bought them :) Thanks for helping me be a popular guest, yet again!
We made these last night to go with a casual dinner of hummus, cheeses, olives, roasted asparagus, and the warm cherry tomato salad featured with your baked feta recipe. This flat bread was a wonderful addition to the meal. Running late to prepare for our guest, I trusted your advice that these could be made quickly – and indeed they came together so well that I had time to make two batches – one as written, and the other using thyme and black pepper in place of the rosemary. I’ll add this to my collection of “take to work” or “share with friends” recipes. I’m inspired by the variations shared by other commenters, too. THANK YOU!
Made this tonight and it turned out great. I am surprised by how easy it was and how well it turned out. Thanks Deb!
I was blown away by how good this was relative to how easy the recipe was. I know there are great pizza dough recipes here, but given that I’m still a yeast virgin, I think I’m going to stick to “cheat” baking with soda and powder a while longer.
The first “cracker” I made really did turn out more like a flatbread — didn’t roll it out as thinly as I should’ve — and while my husband preferred the later crispier versions (especially for scooping up baked feta with tomatoes), I think that first one might work as a substitute for pizza dough when I make the leek-corn-chard topping tomorrow. Great way to use up all of this week’s CSA rosemary!
So quick and easy, but so delicious and flaky. And the rosemary and salt really made them so good. I put some basil in too. I’d like to try making these with other kinds of flour to see how they turn out texturewise and the time investment is so minimal that if they come out bad, it’s ok (and I’ll probably eat them anyway.) Does anyone have suggestions for something to pair this with? I automatically go to hummus or a bean salad, but this could be fun.
Picture this it’s nearing one am on Thanksgiving day and I have been making a baked feta recipe for not one but two different dinner and I realized that I didnt have enough pita chips for bothy houses! What was I going to do I thought, the stores are all closed now and I have to be up at nine tomorrow to head out. I then happened upon this wonderful recipe. It is now 2 am and after cooling the feta and storing it, and preparing the quick dough, I am waiting for the second of three rounds to be done. Oh theres the buzzer now. Thank you random internet blogger, thank you.
Super good! Thank you for posting this. My dad & I enjoyed it with smoked trout and assorted cheese tonight. A great pre-Christmas snack!
I used it as pizza dough yesterday. It was great!
Love, love, love this recipe! I’ve made it lots of times just as it is written, but made it again today, subbing corn meal for about 1/3 of the flour to make a heartier, more corn-chip like cracker. Since I’ve started making these, I almsot never buy crackers at the store. These are quicker, cheaper, and taste so much better.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Made it as written and loved it! Thanks for the recipe my family gobbled it up in seconds! :)
I made the flatbread yesterday to go with some roasted eggplants with buttermilk sauce and pomegranate seeds. It was perfect! Crispy enough to complement the soft and almost creamy texture of the eggplants. I will definitely make it again, maybe with other spices like za’atar.
Hey Deb! I want you to know that Bee @ deux dilettantes really did serve this to me and it was wonderful. She will not shut up about that za’atar. She wants everyone to know she has it!
I love these! I made a double batch last fall, baked up half the rounds for a baby shower, then came home and baked up the second half for myself! Today’s another double day, one batch so super fast in the morning for a coworker’s goodbye party (normally I would never attempt baking before school, but they’re amazing like that), and then I just HAD to make a second batch this evening for myself again. I found that if I cut the third one in half, I can just fit then all on one sheet. Perfect.
I want to make more to play around with not only the spices but also flours – I wonder if a GF version would be good?
Hi there,
fairly recent to your blog, shared by my colleague and your fan. I would never have thought of making crackers on my own, although I could not do without them. So thank you for the simple recipes and pumping up the courage with success at the excellent spelt everything crackers. Delighted!
Had a go with this flatbread yesterday evening, a double batch straight on, solely from whole wheat flour and with oregano instead of rosemary (not the season here).
A comment on the whole wheat flour:
I strongly disagree with one of the comments that it makes the crackers unappetizing – on the contrary: I took them to work today and Everybody loved them and I already fwded the link to the recipe.
The dough, though, makes it a bit difficult: it was kind of shrinking and tearing apart when rolled – probably because the flour is really whole grain, so I added some water after the first rounds and it was better, but in the end, the shape didn’t matter. They baked really fast, even faster than 8 minutes when really thin.
The result? An empty bowl! :)
Just made these for a potluck luncheon where most people were bringing salads. Fantastic! One modification that I really liked: I used a pizza cutter to make individual pieces right before I put it in the oven. The unintended benefit was that even though they cooked unevenly (my oven being what it is) I was able to pull out the pieces that were brown and leave the pale ones for a few extra minutes.
Just made this today, and it was amazing! I am thinking next time that I might add just a dash of sugar for an extra pop! LOVED IT!
This was sooooo good! I made it with 1/2 cup wheat flour subbed in. Also made it with chives instead. Brushed it with the olive oil then spread it out on a 9×13 cookie sheet and made it into a pizza (on the parchment).. Wasn’t sure how it would do with all those wet ingredients but it was fantastic and my whole family (husband and 2 year old) loved it. I just put the sauce and pizza ingredients right on the raw crust. Probably took 15 min at 450.
I’ve made these twice now and they are AMAZING! Crispy and flakey, yet incredibly fast and easy to make. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Deb, I tried to make the rosemary gruyere sea salt crisps but the dough was far too dry to hold together. I did follow recipe exactly. I noticed on the web that another person had same experience and added an egg. What do you recommend? Thanks
It was too salty for me so I ate them with yak cheese and honey. It was really goood!! Next time I should put only 1/4tsp of salt. This is really easy recipe. never fail! :) Thank you!
Tried this recipe tonight. Had to half it because I didn’t have enough flour, but it came out great. I only rolled it into one bigger round.
Could this dough be made ahead and refrigerated overnight or even frozen?
Used as a pizza shell (rolled the edges before baking, then melted some stuff on top after crispifying in the oven). I baked mine on a standard cookie sheet and did not need parchment paper.
For my first time, it turned out great. The first ball was a little and not to crispy, so it was probably a couple of minutes underbaked. The next two balls I rolled out very thin and they turned out great. Convection oven turned out better than coventional, for me. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hello!
I am thrilled to have just tried this exquisite recipe!!!
I had to use just a little more water, but other than that – All Fine!
Emily, wonderful idea to use this as a pizza shell!!
I love Thin-n-Crispy, so maybe I try it next time … in a couple of days that is,
since I doubt that my batch is gonna last any longer!!!
Oh! I’d love to share here my “tiny mistake” which turned out great!!!
As I rolled out the 2nd piece of the dough, preparing it for the oven,
I accidentally spread sugar over it – instead of salt …
I realized it immediately, so I didn’t add more rosemary on top,
& baked it as it was!!
It’s WONDERFUL!!!
Maybe adding cinnamon & sugar, instead of salt + rosemary, will make for a good sweet alternative of this incredible recipe!!!
Nevertheless – I am so grateful for this recipe, & THANKS A LOT for sharing!!!
It will most certainly be “The Recipe of the Century”!!!
Oops – one more thing …
And I cut it in squares, right before putting it in the oven!
I highly recommend it!
plus, it gives ya neat pieces!!!
Fantastic recipe. I might use a little bit less olive oil next time.
If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to preheat an oven, you can also throw this dough out on a dry, medium heat cast iron skillet. Cook each side for about a minute, or until beginning to blacken.
Easy and surprisingly addictive. Thanks for sharing!
Would you please forward the Herb Spread Recipe from 2007 Gourmet if you still have it. Have searched the internet and can’t find it. I will be making the flatbread soon!
Super quick, easy, and delicious. I replaced 3/4 cup of the white flour for wheat and it was fantastic. My housemates loved it.
This is a great recipe. I used 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour and baked for 8 minutes. fantastic flaky crackers. Heavenly! Thanks for this recipe.
Great recipe, thanks! I also added some grated parmesan, cracked black pepper, and slivered basil leaves on top and it came out wonderful. Perfect thing to go with my sister’s homemade minestrone!
I made this for the first time today, and the flavor is delish!! However, it didn’t turn out as crispy in the center of the cracker as it did on the edges, so I obviously didn’t roll it out thin enough??? I thought I had rolled it out paper thin — maybe next time I’ll poke some fork tines in it to give it more of a saltine appearance, and maybe that will help? Anyway, this recipe is super easy and super quick to clean up after and I will definitely made these again. Easy and very tasty!
Delicious – Thank you !
Mad Martha
Amazing first time trying it and it’s wonderful I also did a sweet one as well. Thank you for this recipe
These were absolutely perfect for dinner the other night, with Ottolenghi’s beetroot and za’atar dip (from Jerusalem – have you tried it yet? you are in for a treat!). Actually I make these regularly enough that I remember the recipe, perfect when I forgot to buy bread. Or have too much cheese, a terrible fate!!
Yummmm just made these today on Australia Day
Perfect for a BBQ. Love them
Thank you
I just made this flatbread and it’s awesome! I divided dough into 6 pieces instead of 3 so my dough become thinner and more crispy. Also it’s great idea to add some tomatoe sauce, fresh basil and mozzarella on the top and bake for 2-3 minutes more. Bon appetit/Smacznego! Great for lunch or as a starter. So easy to make!
These were EXCELLENT! I agree with previous commenters who liked them crispier. I cut them into cracker size with a pizza cutter before baking.
I’ve been using this recipe for pizza for a couple years. My son asked for “hot pockets” which I refused to buy. I used this recipe today (minus rosemary) and made yummy ham & mozzarella “hot pockets” by splitting dough into 6 pieces. Perfect!!
I made these as an appetizer – so delicious! This is totally going into my “favorite recipes” file!
Works great for an easy, yeast free pizza crust!
Ooh I so want to make this! Is it possible to add weights? Thanks in advance.
I just got the first two flatbreads out of the oven – I doubled the recipe as an appetizer for my birthday party, together with your caponata
I’m not sure if this combination will last 2 days in my flat. I may have gobbled it all up by tonight, it is so wonderful together…
Thanks a lot for adding the weights, too, it makes it a lot easier for me… *heart*
This is a super recipe, the kind that you memorize, that becomes part of how you eat. I’ve been making this for years, and make this at least once a week! Some things you can try: with herbs, try fresh basil, parsley, or oregano; with the flour, switch out half for oat or chickpea flour; with the baking powder, try two teaspoons and 400 when you want a softer bread. Believe it or not, I’ve never brushed them with olive oil, and they are still delicious. Lastly, for easier blending, use slightly warm water, and mix it and the olive oil together before pouring it in. Enjoy!
Thank you for these tips – they helped immensely!
Can you make this with whole wheat or white whole wheat flour?
I haven’t but several commenters here have and say it worked just fine.
OMG I’m 9 years late to the party, but a friend just shared this page on Twitter last night. I made the flatbread today and it is so easy and so delicious! I had some mashed roasted garlic in the fridge and mixed about a tablespoon of that into the dough. It turned out fabulous. Now I can’t stop eating these- please send help! (or more cheese)
I love the *idea* of this — unfortunately I did not love the end result. Perhaps I didn’t roll my pieces out thin enough, but I felt that this lacked flavor the texture was somewhat ‘off’ – it wasn’t doughy enough for a lavash or true flatbread, but it wasn’t crisp enough as a cracker. I may play around with it more, but this was a bit of a miss for me. :/
Such a fantastic recipe. Husband and I have renamed it from flatbread to crackbread. I added some chopped olives on my second time around and that worked really well, too. It seems very fancy but is so easy to make. Anyone making food gifts at the holidays looking for a savory treat should try these in lieu of cookies. LOVE YOU, Smitten Kitchen.
How do you make them crispy and brittle? Mine were too hard.
These look great. I’m trying to stay away from gluten. Could I make these with non-gluten flour mixes like: rice flour + quinoa flour + sorghum flour + tapioca flour + xanthin gum?
So, I am trying to put these in a Tupperware container to take to a potluck, but I keep breaking off a piece to eat! these couldn’t be easier and are delicious. I baked them in a convection oven so did them all at once.
How have I not commented already?! I’ve made these several times, always to rave reviews, always with people requesting the recipe. I’m here grabbing the url again to send to a friend I just shared some with at lunch. They are so easy and the result so wonderful, even many days later, that you can’t not make them. I even tried using 1 for 1 gluten-free flour and sesame seeds for a batch. It seemed horrible – they cracked when I tried to roll them, I couldn’t get them thin enough, and they took 17-20 minutes to begin to color. But they tasted fantastic and were taken home by my GF friends who also requested the recipe. Yay!
This was exactly what I needed to know. I’m making some tomorrow! (Fresh bread for everyone else, so the gf friend needs something lovely too). Thanks for commenting!
Made these tonight and they were SO GOOD and SO EASY I immediately made another batch with truffle salt. That was, um, a very good idea.
This has become my oh-why-have-I-procrastinated-AGAIN recipe for potlucks. Quick, easy clean up and great flavor. I have a hard time putting more than one on the pizza stone at a time so have found that if you merely leave them on the parchment paper and heave the combo on the oven rack they bake just fine allowing me to make more faster! The humidity today is >65% so if there are any leftovers (I always make a double batch) they get popped into the toaster.
I just have to say that one of the *other* things I love about your posts (BESIDES the wonderful recipes, which I love) is all the people, from all over the world, who comment and give ideas and variations!! It’s great to have those who have gone before! Thanks all!!
I am newly on Keto, so gonna give these a go with fear and trepidation, for our small group tomorrow night…. EEK!!!
This recipe is delicious! I’ve made it a few times now. My favorite variation is to nix the rosemary and top with za’atar. So perfect for dipping into hummus!
I agree – confused by this and looking forward to the clarification.
Oh my god! I am visiting at least three bakeries every weekend trying to find rosemary bread, as it is simply my favorite! I had no idea it is so easy to make! Flatbread is even better, as then I eat less of it! lovely! thanks for putting this up!
Could I make this with fresh ground whole wheat flour?
Yes, it should work.
So just a little confused about the baking pan… do you use two? You say to heat up one and then oil another?
Thanks, Yvonne, that was my question as well.
I was wondering this as well, but I ended up just heating one with the oven, and then I pulled it out and oiled it just before adding the flatbread dough. Mine came out great.
I fit mine one one, barely, but you might need two.
Sorry still confused. Do you actually use the heavy baking pan you leave in the oven when preheating?
That was my question too.
Sorry, it is confusing the way I wrote it. Yes, you put them on the pan you’ve heated in the oven. Will clarify.
I figured it out by looking at the recipe on Epicurious. They are assuming you are rolling it out on parchment and then you put the parchment on the preheated pan.
I didn’t have any problem rolling the smaller pieces on parchment.
Great thank you! Hoping to make them this weekend!!
These look delicious and shockingly easy! They’re next on my list to try. Do you mind sharing where your stainless olive oil container/pourer is from that you had in the video on insta?
I can’t find it anymore :(
Totally addicting. Thank you!
I like the look of this! My go to rosemary flatbread recipe is from a pre-Internet issue of Fine Cooking and it’s very VERY thin and requires chilling before rolling out. This looks much quicker. Thanks!
Just made these with 40g of whole wheat flour subbed in, turned out great! Took the whole 10 minutes for me in my little tiny oven. Paired well with the rest of my dinner tonight and I loved them! Would go even better with, well, an entire log of goat cheese or something ;)
Thank you for a great recipe!
I made these the day before yesterday. just a few pieces left. Couldn’t be easier and what wonderful flavor!! Anxious to make again tomorrow. Love them with vino rosso!
I just made these for dinner, but my toddler and I have already devoured most of one of the flatbreads because once we sampled a bit, we couldn’t stop! They are almost buttery in texture. The one thing I would change next time is reducing the amount of table salt. With the flaky salt on top, it’s just a bit much (though obviously not unenjoyable). Also, maybe my oven runs low, but these took a good 15 minutes to get golden in color.
I made these last night to go with your mushroom soup. The soup was phenomenal, but these didn’t turn out right. I followed the measurements exactly, but the dough was very wet and sticky, so I had a really hard time rolling it out and couldn’t get them as thin (or, sadly, as crispy) as yours. The only thing I could think is that because I’m in Florida, the humidity here means that I need to reduce the amount of water. Any thoughts on this? Thanks so much, Deb!
I tried this w Bob’s Red Mill baking flour. I had to add extra oil and water. I should have increased the salt a bit too. Maybe because they are gf, they were hard for me to roll without them sticking to the rolling pin and hard to transfer to baking sheet. I appreciate the recipe, but gf isn’t great. Also gf stuff doesn’t brown so not nearly as pretty as Deb’s.
This may have just become one of my “avoid the pandemic” go-to foods. Easy, versatile, and very yummy. I do wish I had sea salt, as I think it could use that zing. I made it with dried oregano (half a tablespoon) and it was a perfect way to eat lemon cumin hummus (can you call it hummus if you have neither tahini nor garlic?).
Like many people, I’m avoiding going out in public as much as possible right now because getting sick would be Very Bad. When I realized just how fast I would run out of fresh ingredients it had the potential to be pretty dispiriting, so I decided that rather than lament what I couldn’t have, I’d challenge myself to use up the contents of my fridge, freezer and pantry as creatively as possible so I could delay going shopping again as long as possible. So far it’s been quite fun. I’ve been reading a lot of recipes (not a hardship) and will be trying a lot of new things (shakshuka is scheduled for the week after next). Tonight’s menu was based on the need to use up a head of lovely fresh lettuce: I had a salad and Turkish spiced carrot fritters as well as the hummus and flatbread. I must be part hobbit, because good food makes everything better.
Hummus is the Arabic word for chickpea, so as long as it has that, you can call it hummus!
Turkish spiced carrots sounds amazing!
Deb to the rescue yet again! I have hummus but my daughter asked what we had to eat with it. Within the hour we had these!!! Had fresh rosemary from my garden. I used a baking stone and loved it. I sprayed each side of the rolled out dough with some olive oil spray.
Made these with 1cp ap flour and 3/4cp bobs low carb whole grain flour ( that’s what was at my bodega in this time of insanity). Tons of tarragon and thyme. Gorgeous dough, gorgeous crackers. Thank you!
Just made this for dinner tonight to go with a braised chicken dish that had leeks and canned artichokes in the bright sauce. This flatbread was the perfect accompaniment as it scooped up all the cooked down leeks from the pan of chicken thighs. Super easy to throw together and the dough comes together really quick. Very forgiving too. So easy that i did a second batch without the herbs for the kids and for tomorrow’s kids’ pizza. Don’t skimp on the salt heck add more. Delicious stuff and super satisfying to make. Thank you for yet another home run recipe Deb.
I love this! I was looking for something to do with my excess sourdough starter, but was uninspired by any of the discard recipes out there. So I turned to SK, and I was not disappointed. This took about two seconds to do, which is important when I’m already exhausted from the amount of baking and dishes I’ve done before breakfast, and came out deliciously. It’ll definitely become a staple in my house!
I just made these yesterday with fresh rosemary from our tiny garden, and they were so easy and delicious! I used nearly 3/4 tsp table salt and sprinkled Gruyere on top of one; I think I may do all of them with cheese next time!
I am confused. Are two trays being used here.? One in the oven and one with bread on it? Or is the heavy one in the oven used to retain heat or something? Thank you.
Ah, that was a mistake, now edited. No need to heat the tray — I mean, you can, but I didn’t find any great benefit to it here. Just oiled cold tray is fine.
Deb,
Would you also call this Lavash? I have been trying to find a recipe for lavash and none of them seem right.
Thanks!
I’ve never made lavash before. I just did a quick Google and the first recipe was just water, flour, and salt, and the second (Alton Brown) had an egg in it. Neither seem exactly right. I know lavash is thinner.
Thank you for checking. I also saw those two recipes. I’m going to try yours. It does sound delicious.
Sharon
Had friends call and say they were in the neighborhood, so they stopped by for a quick hello in our backyard (6 feet apart with masks and gloves lol!). Whipped these up in less than 10 minutes with fresh herbs from our garden and they were amazing as usual. I’ve been making these since you posted them and they are one of the easiest, most impressive and versatile snacks. Thank you so much!
Absolutely wonderful recipe. Very quick to prepare and bake. And the results are amazing. We won’t be buying flatbread at the store any longer. Thank you.
I have made this wonderful recipe several times over the past few years. Always follow your directions to the letter because, well, you took the time to finesse the details. One quick note to add (& maybe others have done this): Before baking, I gently score/slice each of the three rounds into wedge-shaped slices that can then be broken into other rustic shapes. Just an fyi from Canada. Always love your words (and unflagging sense of gentle humour) about food, life, and the universe!
Hi Deb, What are the chances the recipe could be used for soft, light and fluffy cooked up in skillet? Any ideas on how to amend recipe to become what I am looking for? I have tested various recipes in my quest for a tender, moist and fluffy flat/pita/naan bread. (ingredients vary yeast, milk, butter).
Before testing out your recipe, thought you could provide information. Many thanks
You should make the grilled yogurt flatbreads in Smitten Kitchen Every Day. Or these layered yogurt flatbreads, but they’re not fluffy and pita-ish.
We love these, make them all the time, and they get eaten up immediately.
Any idea if I can freeze them? Either the dough or the crackers themselves?
I haven’t frozen them but don’t see why they wouldn’t freeze okay.
Thank you Deb for taking the time to respond. I’ll give the layerd flatbread a try.
Fun fact – my husband and I used these flatbreads twice to induce labor. True story – with our first two births, this is what we had for dinner the night before, mere hours before labor began. We still occasionally have them for dinner (we were on a real kick in those days) and wonder what surprises the next day will bring….
I made these with Za’atar and they turned out great!
Made this for our Pandemic Thanksgiving brunch platter. Super easy. I did one batch with no brushed olive oil on top and they were indistinguishable from the ones with the brushed tops. I used a blend of fresh rosemary, oregano, thyme and chives.
omg, i can’t stop eating these–and they’re not even fully cooled yet! Threw together this, Deb’s Silky Cauliflower Soup, and Deb’s Walnut Pesto in about 35-40min. Haven’t tasted the other two yet, but what an easy dinner!
Have become addicted to these, which are delicious and incredibly easy to make.
Thanks from a lazy baker.
Our favorite date night place had reopened last summer, but the kitchen lagged, so we were doing “potlucks” at the bar. I made these and hummus (with the skins off of the beans, like Deb taught me). People are still raving about the “cracker bread” months later.
When it comes to making bread at home, I absolutely love flatbread. Thanks for this recipe! The ratio of flour to baking powder to water is very important to make it crisp.
I’m following the recipe but I get into a bit of trouble when I roll them out. They just elastic themselves into a much smaller shrunken version of what I set on my cookie sheet. Help?
Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes and it should relax. It’s also possible they needed a little more water, but I’ve never found that when I make them. A heartier flour or more dry climate could affect it though.
I make these often. I always give it a fast knead (about 10 strokes) and then let it rest about a half an hour. I just leave the dough ball on the counter, with the mixing bowl upside down over it. Always comes out great.
First, I have to say that my biggest problem with these currently is that I can’t stop eating them! That said, I did make them twice to get to this point and found much greater success the second time around.
The second time, not only did I follow the advice of a previous commenter and used warm water and let the dough “rest” for 20 minutes, but I rolled them out and baked them on the same parchment paper on a baking steel, transferring them to the steel using a pizza peel. They were crackling crisp, thin and perfectly browned in 7 minutes. Sorry to disagree with Deb’s advice, I found that rolling them out and transferring them pre baking, they contracted when i moved them and weren’t as thin when I baked them, puffing up in places like pita. They were much more manageable, holding their shape and density on the parchment,
Could this be made with half keto flour and half AP to reduce the carbs a bit for those of us with pre diabetes?
I am obsessed with these crackers. I have made them 4 times in the last 2 weeks, exploring different combinations of white flour/wholemeal/yellow pea flour. The result is always good! Have tried rosemary, sesame, nigella seeds, black pepper… I wonder what other flavors I could experiment with