I love the simplicity of flatbreads. Flour, water, yeast, a quick rise and roll then fry it up in a pan. Pizza, roti, pita, lavash, bing bread and bong bread. I spent years craving flatbreads and eating plates full of them but never thought I could learn to make flatbread myself.
Then I was challenged watching chef David Chang make his version of bing bread. Of course he never shares his recipe, just his method. So, it took a few tries to get just the right dough and texture. It may not be the bread they serve at Majordomo, but it’s pretty damn close and just as delicious.
This flatbread is called bing bread in China and bong bread in Korea. I couldn’t make up my mind about what to call it so I named it both. Bet you thought it was a typo and I meant to call it Ping Pong, didn’t you?
Make a bowl of hummus or sour cream with chopped dill while you’re at it. Trust me, you’ll devour this bread in minutes.
Bing Bong Bread (Flatbread)
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine yeast, sugar and salt with 2 cups very warm (but not hot) water in a large bowl. 110° - 114° Whisk to dissolve. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add 4 cups flour and mix with a wooden spoon until dough comes together in a shaggy ball with only a few dry spots of flour remaining. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 50–70 minutes.
- Once dough has doubled in size, punch down and transfer to a well-floured surface. Knead dough adding flour, as needed, a tablespoonful at a time if dough is very sticky. Knead until smooth (dough should be very soft, pliable, and slightly sticky).
- Divide dough in half. Generously flour work table. Portion out dough into softball sized balls. Roll each ball around to firm up. Set each ball aside and cover with a towel. You should have about 8-10 balls of dough. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on a skillet or griddle until shimmering hot.
- Roll out a ball of dough with a rolling pin or bottle, pressing out further with your fingers. Roll into a flat disc about ¼ in thick.
- Use a dough scraper or spatula to help lift it from work surface and set it on the hot skillet. Bread will rise slightly and bubble. Lift the edge of bread to see if it is brown on the underside, then flip. Cook another 15-20 seconds and remove to towel-lined plate.
- Continue this process until all the balls of dough are cooked. Serve warm with hummus, honey and garlic or sour cream and fresh dill.