The Ultimate Frugal Staple: Quick Flat Bread

From the original Frugal Zeitgeist archive. This first-person recipe has been lightly edited for clarity while preserving the method and story.

Although I would not recommend trying to live on bread and water, bread has earned its place as a staple in many people’s diets.

Bread was pretty expensive at my local stores, so during my journey to save money and make frugality part of everyday life, I decided it was important to learn the art of bread making.

Over the years I tried many yeast-based recipes. I often struggled to get the taste right, and the long rising time was frustrating. Then a conversation with a Mexican friend gave me a simpler place to start: flour and water. I experimented from there and gradually arrived at this quick, inexpensive dough, which works well for wraps, thicker pita-style flatbreads, and small pizzas.

Equipment

• Glass or plastic mixing bowl
• Your hands
• A rolling pin or clean glass bottle
• A flat frying pan or skillet

Ingredients

Makes about five medium-thickness flatbreads.

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Up to 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar (I use unrefined brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Prepare the dough

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and oil in a bowl.
2. Slowly add the water while mixing with a fork. Stop when the mixture forms a moist dough that is not overly sticky; you may not need the full cup.
3. Lightly flour a clean, flat surface and turn out the dough.
4. Knead for a couple of minutes, until the dough forms a firm, smooth ball.

The dough can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Cook thin, tortilla-style flatbreads

1. Lightly brush a flat pan with oil and heat it over medium-high heat.
2. Take a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and warm it between your hands.
3. Press it onto a floured surface, then roll from the centre outward as thinly as you can.
4. Place the dough in the hot pan and very lightly brush the top with oil.
5. Cook for about a minute, flip, and cook for about another minute. Add a little more time if needed; the bread should be cooked through with light brown spots.

For thicker, pita-style flatbreads

Follow the same method, but start with a slightly larger piece of dough and do not roll it as thinly. Cook until the centre is done.

For a small pizza base

1. Lightly flour your hands.
2. Take a piece of dough a little smaller than a tennis ball and press it into a flat disc.
3. Work it thinner with your hands, or roll it, until it reaches your preferred pizza-base thickness.
4. Add sauce, cheese, and your chosen toppings, then bake in a preheated oven until the base is cooked and the toppings are done.

This recipe is forgiving, fast, and built from inexpensive cupboard staples—the sort of practical experiment Frugal Zeitgeist was created to share.