Cajun Spiced Flatbreads and Poppy Seed Rolls

Flatbreads

I am the world’s worst person at doing nothing; I usually watch telly and play card games at the same time or work and listen to podcasts and so when I found myself with an empty day I decided to bake two different types of bread I've been thinking about for a while. 

I started by making a basic bread dough and then split it in half and made Cajun Spiced Flatbreads and Poppy Seed Rolls simultaneously. I’ve only started with the basic dough recipe and then split it up into the method for the flatbreads and rolls, but if you’re going to use the whole of the basic dough to make one or other of these simply double the additional ingredients.

They’re both delicious, the Flatbreads made one of the best lunches I’ve had in ages!

Cajun Spiced Flatbreads and Poppy Seed Rolls

Basic Dough Ingredients:

Rolls

500g strong white bread flour

2tsp salt

1 x 7g sachet dried yeast

11floz lukewarm water

Flatbreads: (makes 4 large)

2tbsp Cajun seasoning, or equivalent (usually something with garlic, herbs, something hot and something smoky works really well)

oil for cooking (light olive or vegetable oil work well)

Poppy Seed Rolls: (makes 6 medium rolls)

milk for glazing (approx. 2tbsp)

2 tbsp poppy seeds

200oC fan/210oC other ovens

Basic Dough Method:

1. Put the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other (so as not to kill the yeast), and mix.
2. Add the water and mix into a dough (you might not need all of the water so add it in a few goes until you have a soft, but not sticky, dough).
3. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. See this blog for my tips on kneading and other bread baking techniques.
4. Put your dough into an oiled bowl, covered with oiled clingfilm, and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (approx. 1 hour)
5. Once doubled knock your dough back by kneading on a lightly floured surface for 2/3 minutes. This is your basic bread dough, ready for anything!

Flatbread dough

I divided mine in half and made Cajun Flatbreads with one half and Poppy Seed Rolls with the other.

For the Flatbreads:

Flatbread breads being cooked

a. Take half of the knocked back dough and on a lightly floured surface knead in 2tbsp of the Cajun seasoning, this should only take 2/3 minutes until it is fully incorporated.

b. Divide the dough into 4 and roll each portion out until they’re the same thickness as a 10p. Whilst you’re doing this have a frying pan or griddle heating up on the hob over a medium/high heat. 

c. Add a small amount of oil the pan and fry each flatbread for 2 minutes on each side, or until both sides are lightly charred and full of air pockets. 

d. Repeat for the rest of the flatbreads, adding small amounts of oil as required. 

Filled with salad ready to eat!

e. These are best enjoyed warm out of the pan stuffed with fresh crispy salad – delicious! They don’t keep especially well, so best just to make what you need and eat them fresh!

Roll dough

 For the Poppy Seed Rolls:

a. Take the other half of the knocked back dough, divide into six and form each portion into a circle – the easiest way to do this is to knead for 30 seconds and the dough will automatically take on the right shape. 

b. Repeat for all of the dough then place them all into an oiled baking tray, evenly spaced. 

With seeds added

c. Cover the tray with oiled clingfilm and prove for another 30 minutes in a warm place, or until doubled in size. 

d. Once risen brush generously with milk, sprinkle with a layer of Poppy seeds; only the bottom layer will stick so you don’t need to go overboard. 

e. Bake in a preheated oven (200oC fan/210oC other ovens) for 20 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped on the base – cook for another 5 minutes and test again until you get the hollow noise. 

Finished rolls!

f. These make great sandwiches, or are nice toasted with something like scrambled egg. They’ll keep for 3 or 4 days in an air tight container.

Like I said, it would be just as easy to use all of the dough to make flatbreads, or the rolls, simply double the additional ingredients required.

I hope this demonstrates how flexible dough can be, and how many different things you can do with it (simultaneously or otherwise!) once you’ve mastered the basic technique!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx