Crusty, soft and flat...what more do you want from your bread?

In the midst of a long day of campaign stuff the other day, a friend bought me a veggie "wrap" on a flat bread from a local sub shop.
Now, generally, I like my vegetables in a soft, thin wrap, but this bread was thicker than a wrap - more bread-like, and crusty on both sides.
In short, I was in love with this bread.
I wanted to make it for myself. Only, I wanted to make it better.
I searched for the perfect recipe, I discoveed that flat breads are pretty much a part of the meals in countries all over the world. Each culture has it's own verison. Tuscan flatbread, Indian flatbread, Greek flatbread, Egyptian flatbread...
So I figured I could be creative and come up with my own bread.
Alot of flatbreads are made on a grill or on  griddle. On this 97 degree day, I was not in the mood to stand outside near an additional heat source so I chose to make my flatbread in the oven.
The radio was on in the background while I made the bread and I heard the Simon and Garfunkle song "Scarborough Fair" while I worked. It was there, I got the inspiration for the spice mix from there.
This bread was so easy to make and is ready pretty quickly in bread terms. And it's good stuffed with veggies, cheese and even just by itself.
Scarborough Fair Flatbread
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) of dry yeast

1 cup of lukewarm water
2 cups of  flour
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of  sugar
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/3 cup of margarine
1/2 teaspoon each of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
In a cup or small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the lukewarm water. Let the mix stand for 5 to 10 minutes to dissolve.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Pour the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture along with the olive oil.
  • Beat with a sturdy spoon until the dough is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover, and set aside until the whole thing has doubled in size, about 35 minutes.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it briefly on a floured surface. Roll the dough out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 5 or 6 pieces.
  • Put them on a greased baking sheet and spread the margarine over the top. Sprinkle with the spices
  • Let the breads rest while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.

Vegetarian.

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