I love simple flatbreads. I hadn’t made any for ages till this morning. My tummy feels happy and full after eating this simple homemade and homegrown lunch made from scratch. I can see this is going to become a favourite. Teff, an ancient grain, is gluten-free, high in protein and iron, higher in calcium than all other grains, and is a rich source of resistant starch (I’ll explain more below).
It took me less about 15 minutes to prepare this meal and it was SO good. The salad was plucked fresh from the garden and the teff wrap (flatbread recipe below) was made moments before I harvested the salad.
Teff – healthy, nutritious, gluten-free, resistant starch
Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of teff before. I only discovered it on the shelves of my local stores in the past 12 months and it peaked my curiousity. I first tried it as a wholegrain mixed with rice – delicious. Since then I also have been baking with teff flour. I am enjoying the flavour and how filling it is.
Teff is an ancient tiny grain – approximately 3000 seeds in each gram. It is grown in places like Ethiopia and Eritrea. It grows quickly and is hardy.
Why teff is healthy…
Teff has a mild nutty flavour and is super healthy. Along with being high in protein, iron and calcium, it is also has 20-40% resistant starch. Eating foods rich in resistant starch nourishes your gut bacteria, which helps maintain intestinal health. It goes through the stomach and small intestine undigested (hence being called resistant), until it reaches the colon where it feeds friendly gut bacteria – this has a positive effect on the type of bacteria in the gut as well as the number of them.
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| Flatbread ingredients – simply flour, water, salt, soil and seeds |
Flatbread recipe
Makes 8
Quick and easy
Prep: 15 mins
Cooking: 15 mins
Ingredients
- 250gms plain flour (I used teff today – but you could use any flour)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150 mls warm water
- 2 tbsp seeds (chia, sesame)
Method
- mix flour, seeds, salt then add the oil and water mix together to form a dough
- turn out onto a floured board and kneed for 5 mins
- cover the ball with a bowl and rest for 15 mins
- when ready to cook and eat – cut into 8, roll until 2-3mm thick
- use a heavy pan or griddle – cook until it looks ‘set’ on top, then flip and cook for another 45 seconds
- wrap cooked flatbreads in tea towel to keep warm (I just cooked one now, and will roll and cook the rest tonight for the family)
- if you cook too many, renew the next day by brushing on a little oil, putting in the oven and using them as dippers.
NB: Depending on the type of flour used, you made need a little more or less water. Always have a little extra flour at hand too. You want the kneaded ball of tough to feel smooth and elastic – not sticky or crumbly.
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| Make a dough and turn onto floured board. |
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| After 5 minutes of kneading, cover with bowl and let sit for 15 mins. |
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| Roll to 2-3mm thickness. |
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| Cook on griddle or heavy-based pan. |
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| Serve with salads and soup. |
I've had my eye on the Teff flour at the healthfood shop but have been waiting for a recipe to use it. I make wheat flour flatbreads weekly and want/need to move off grain. So this is wonderful timing. Thanks!
that DOES look simple!
i use spelt flour myself as i keep getting bloat with regular wheat & flour, can eat sourdough breads though, yummy
i might try your recipe with spelt during the week
thanx for sharing
Thanks Morag, I often see teff but had no idea how to use it. I know i eat way too much wheat flour, my system is ok with gluten but I often think we are not supposed to eat so much of it. I have been making lots of sourdough breads lately and I find, as it is more complex, it is more filling, needing only one piece of bread or toast, I should think that this teff bread would be the same. Thanks again for the recipe and have a wonderful Wednesday.
Fi