Idlib Wood-Fired Flatbread

The bread of Idlib: thicker than Lebanese pita, more yielding than a Turkish flatbread, with a scorched crust from the taboun wood-fired oven and a soft interior that tears like fabric. Adapted here for a very hot home oven with a cast-iron skillet.

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant dried yeast
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 310 ml warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add warm water and olive oil. Mix to a rough dough.
2. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
3. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.
4. Place a cast-iron skillet or heavy baking sheet in the oven and preheat to the highest temperature your oven will reach — at least 250°C (480°F). Allow 30 minutes for the skillet to fully heat.
5. Divide dough into 8 equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a round about 5mm thick — thicker than pita, more like a thick flatbread.
6. Working quickly, slide a dough round onto the screaming-hot skillet. Cook 2–3 minutes until brown spots develop on the underside, then flip for 1 minute.
7. Remove and wrap immediately in a clean cloth to keep soft while you cook the remaining rounds.
8. Eat within 2 hours of baking — this bread does not keep.

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