Unleavened bread is eaten as a staple all over the world. It is most commonly called flatbread and more specifically tortilla, chapati, fry bread, lavash, matzo, and roti, just to name a few. Thus, versions of these are found in most countries, cultures, and religious settings. In fact, communion bread is a common variation of this bread. All these basic recipes are pretty much the same; they contain flour and water. With Passover starting today, this is the bread of the week.
Why an unleavened bread?
Since we are in the week between Passover and Easter, it’s time to bake a basic unleavened flatbread. This bread is commonly eaten during this week when leavened bread for the Jewish is not consumed. However, in many cultures this bread is eaten year-round. For religious reasons or not, a basic unleavened bread is simple and quick to make to accompany any meal.
Given the season, unleavened bread has its religious purpose. There is symbolism behind it whether you are Jewish, Christian, or other religion where unleavened bread is consumed. Unleavened bread, simply put, is bread without any raising agent like yeast, baking powder, or baking soda that would cause the dough to rise.
In the Bible, leavening such as yeast represents sin. Therefore, its counterpart, unleavened bread, represents simplicity and purity for the Jewish and Christian faiths, whether during Passover or for communion. It’s a reminder of the sacrifices made, and the need to eliminate sin from daily lives.
A Simple, Basic Bread with Options
My goal for this post was to make the most basic bread appropriate for the season and to accommodate preferences and needs. The following recipe is very simple but can be adjusted by adding any flavorings you desire. In the same breath, with so few ingredients, you almost always have what you need on hand to bake a homemade bread.
Interesting Fact: Kosher Unleavened Bread Must be Baked Quickly After Mixing. Here’s why…
Yes! If you intend to follow the Passover customs of baking and eating kosher unleavened bread, you are on borrowed time. It takes 18-22 minutes for flour and water to begin fermentation. Thus, once you begin the mixing process, you should bake the dough within that time frame. Think about it. This is the same way sourdough is made, just over many days. Naturally occurring yeast is simply water and flour. So, plan ahead and have your oven or skillet heated to bake as soon as the dough is ready.
Check out my video “Unleavened Bread: Gluten & Gluten Free Baked 2 Ways“. Follow the step-by-step visual directions and feel good about making a clean bake during Passover, for communion, or anytime of year.
Final Thoughts…
While you can vary this recipe, I chose to make the most basic version. Scott and I enjoyed the simplicity and cleanliness of both the skillet-cooked and oven-baked versions. They are both hearty enough and would make a good accompaniment to any meal, since they are very simple in flavor. Scott described them both as… “Tastes like communion bread.” So, I think that tells you all you need to know. 😉
Skillet-cooked thoughts in detail…
The skillet-cooked version for both gluten and gluten-free breads were much like a Mexican tortilla. It’s important to roll out the dough very thin like a tortilla, so the center cooks completely through. Even with a thin roll, the gluten-free version was a little gummy / chewy. I think that was due to the type of gluten-free flour I used (Namaste). In the future, once I have my gluten-free flour recipes sorted out, I plan to remake this recipe with one of my flours without (or less) gums (agar agar, guar gum, or xanthan gum). Gums are in most all-purpose gluten-free, store-bought flour mixes because they provide the structure for making bread. However, sometimes, I think the gum ratios (in store-bought versions) are more than necessary for a simple pancake or flatbread. More to come on this.
Oven-baked thoughts in detail…
The gluten version came out of the oven with a beautiful, brown coloring on both sides. The internal portion was baked though and a bit crunchy (pleasantly crunchy on the exterior with a soft interior). After the bread cooled, it softened up a bit all the way through. Scoring was important to keep the bread from rising and to allow for easy portioning. Again, this was a simple tasting bread. The gluten-free version browned nicely on the bottom but not so much on the top side. The exterior was crunchy, but the interior was a little chewy / gummy. I didn’t mind the chewiness of the bread, but I think a different gluten-free flour (homemade version with less gum) would produce better results. More on that later.
UPDATE! I have been making the gluten-free version for communion bread in the oven. A regular, gluten-free flour works well. The key is rolling out the dough thin (like a communion cracker) and scoring it into small communion size pieces. I store mine for communion in the freezer and remove what I need for that day (just 30 minutes before we consume it). It’s been working very well and fits our needs.
Overall…
Overall, both gluten and gluten-free versions were what we expected from such a basic recipe. I intend to make them again, but I would add other ingredients for more flavoring (dried rosemary and minced garlic, for example) and cooked in the skillet with salted butter. Yes, please!
Unleavened Bread: Gluten or Gluten Free Baked 2 Ways
Ingredients
Skillet-Cooked Bread
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour OR any gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup cold water
Oven-Baked Bread
- mix all ingredients for skillet-cooked bread and add the following flour and oil
- 1 tbsp flour (in addition to the above)
- 4 tbsp oil neutral or flavored, depending on preferences
Optional Ingredients
- 1 tsp dried herbs
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup melted butter or shortening
- 1½ tsp honey
Instructions
Skillet-Cooked Bread
- In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Mix in any optional ingredients you want. Stir in water slowly, adding only enough until the dough comes together and isn't too sticky.
- On a lightly floured surface, scoop out dough and knead for a few minutes, just until all the ingredients are well combined. Add flour as necessary.
- Divide dough into 6-7 equal sized balls. Quickly roll out each on a lightly floured surface into ovals as thin as a tortilla.
- Preheat skillet on medium-high heat. Skillet is hot when a splash of water sizzles and quickly evaporates. Add an oval of dough and cook until the underside is spotted brown and bubbly. Reduce heat as needed. Flip bread and cook on other side until spotted brown. Remove and continue with the other dough ovals.
- Serve and enjoy!
Oven-Baked Bread
- In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Mix in oil and any optional ingredients you want. Stir in water slowly, adding only enough until the dough comes together and isn't too sticky.
- On a lightly floured surface, scoop out dough and knead for a few minutes, just until all the ingredients are well combined. Add flour as necessary.
- On a sheet of parchment paper cut to about 18", sprinkle on a little flour and roll out the entire ball of dough into a large oval (~8"x15").
- With a knife, score the dough (not cutting all the way through) from one end to the other. Then, score from side to side, so you have small diamond or square shapes that can be broken off once baked.
- Place parchment paper with dough on a cookie sheet (~13"x18") to accommodate the dough size.
- Set oven to broil on HIGH with the bottom rack on the lowest level. Place the cookie sheet with dough on the rack and bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookie sheet, flip over bread and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Bread should be crusty and spotted brown on both sides.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Interested in some other simple breads? Check out these recipes.
Irish Potato Farls (Bread / Pancakes)
Irish Soda Bread using buttermilk
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