Taftoon - Persian Wholemeal Flat Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
oil (for handling dough)

Preparation

Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl.
Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water; add 1 1/2 cups of the remaining water and the salt.
Pour the yeast mixture into the center of the flour and gradually work in.
Beat with your hands for 20-30 minutes, or use the dough hook on an electric mixer and beat for 20 minutes, gradually adding in as much of the remaining 3/4 cup water as the dough will take (as the dough is beaten it will be able to take a little more water).
Preheat oven to high (around 450 degrees F or more), and place a griddle on the center shelf to preheat for 10-15 minutes; when hot, lightly oil with a small cloth dipped in oil.
Turn the dough out onto an oiled board (no need to proof the dough); oil your hands and divide the dough into 6 parts, rolling each piece into a ball.
Roll out each ball as thinly as possible with an oiled rolling pin and prick all over with a fork or pinwheel, in 3-4 vertical lines across the surface.
Take the round of dough and stretch it a little across the backs of your hands, and place dough on the smooth side of a cushion or pad.
Pull the rack out where the heated griddle is on, and turn the cushion over and press down onto it.
Close the oven and cook 1 minute, then pat down dough to prevent bread from puffing up.
Bake until surface is bubbly (about 3 minutes), then turn bread over and cook 2 minutes more.
Remove bread from oven and wrap in a towel.
Allow oven temperature to reheat before starting another.
Do not allow rolled dough to rest before baking; prepare just before putting in oven.