Paleo Flatbread

I've cracked the code on paleo naan! This grain-free flatbread is soft and chewy just like its gluten-laden counterparts, and thanks to the yeast, its flavor is really authentic. I'm actually a little bit worried about having figured out this recipe, because I now want it with every single meal. It's going to take a lot of restraint to not just eat this instead of vegetables!

I'd never considered making a yeasted paleo flatbread before, partly because yeast can be time-consuming and partly because I had heard that gluten-free doughs don't rise as well. And while that may be true, I was pretty excited about how well this dough rose (see the photos near the end of the post for evidence). Also, since this bread just needs one quick, 45-minute rise, it's not totally insane to make on a weeknight.

I got the idea for this bread when I saw Heather's perfect paleo flatbread recipe on Cook It Up Paleo. Her recipe calls for yeast, but doesn't have you wait for the dough to rise. I couldn't try her recipe as-is because it calls for coconut flour (I'm allergic to coconut), so I decided to play around with it a bit.

Round one of this bread was one large flatbread that baked in the oven, with more almond flour than tapioca flour. Although Ben and I both enjoyed it, the texture was like that of a thick cracker, and I was dreaming of pillowy naan. The bread also wasn't elastic enough to fold without breaking, which gave me the idea to decrease the amount of almond flour and increase the amount of tapioca flour.

Since I had naan on the brain, I also decided to make several round flatbreads and pan-fry them in a skillet, like in this (glutinous) naan recipe. The results were perfect! I made some short ribs in the slow cooker and used little pieces of bread to scoop up pieces of the juicy meat. (The combination was amazing, but I think it'd be even better with some paleo or regular raita!) This flatbread does break a little more easily than regular naan, but small pieces will wrap around something without a problem. Tonight I made this flatbread again to double check the quantities, and we ordered Indian food from our favorite local restaurant to go with it. It was so nice to have naan filled with curry without the guilt!

See how well the dough rises? This really is a must-try. If you make it, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments!

Paleo Flatbread
Yield: 4 flatbreads (4 large or 8 small servings)
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 45 minutes to rise
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (adapted from Cook It Up Paleo):

1/3 cup warm water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)*
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 cup almond flour, plus more as needed 

Ghee, butter, or extra virgin olive oil, for cooking

*Most active dry yeast is gluten free (including Red Star, which I used) but double check the brand you're using if you have strong reactions to gluten.

Whisk together the warm water, olive oil, and honey in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for about 10 minutes, until nice and foamy.

Whisk in the egg. Add the salt and 1 1/2 cups of the tapioca flour and whisk again, until a smooth, sticky batter forms. Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon and stir in the almond flour, and then stir in the remaining tapioca flour. The dough should appear shaggy. If it's too wet to come together, add additional almond flour two tablespoons at a time. Dust your hands with a little tapioca flour and see if you can form the dough into a ball, kneading it a bit to get any floury bits mixed in. If it's still too sticky, add a little more almond flour and try again.

Put the dough ball in the bowl, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and set it in a warm place for 45 minutes (I sometimes turn my oven to 200 just for a couple minutes, then turn it off. I then place the bowl of dough in the oven, which is just a little above room temperature). The dough won't rise as much as a traditional dough made with gluten, but it should get noticeably bigger.

Dust your hands with a little tapioca flour and divide the dough into four even balls. Heat about two teaspoons of ghee, butter, or oil in a large, cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Dust a cutting board or other surface with tapioca flour and pat one of the balls of dough into a circle about five inches across. Slide the dough into the hot pan and raise the heat slightly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the surface of the bread looks bumpy with bubbles. Carefully lift up the edge of the bread with a spatula. If it threatens to rip, cook it for another minute. If it holds together well, flip it over and cook for 1-2 minutes, until browned on the second side. Transfer the bread to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm. Add more ghee to the pan and repeat with the next ball of dough until all the bread is ready.

Serve warm, with melted ghee, butter, or olive oil brushed on top if desired. Wrap leftover bread and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. I like to reheat the bread in a 400 oven wrapped in tinfoil, but you can also wrap it in a paper towel and microwave it for about 20 seconds.

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