Flat Bread Earth

Jeffrey Alford sits in a restaurant booth, showing off some of his chekiches: a graceful goblet-shaped Uzbek model, a rugged Kazakh version that looks like a rather brutal currycomb and a big, flamboyant Turkmen chekich that suggests a Baroque candlestick with a bunch of nails sticking out of one end.

A chekich is a Central Asian bread punch. In the countries where Alford picked up these chekiches, people usually punch their flat breads with patterns of holes before sticking them into tandoor ovens.

With his wife, Naomi Duguid (pronounced “do-good”), the tall, soft-spoken Alford has traveled through huge areas of Asia, usually on a bicycle, enjoying a leisurely, ground-level view of the world. In their travels, the pair noticed how much of the world’s cuisine revolves around flat breads, rather than the high-risen breads we mostly eat in this country. The result was their book “Flatbreads and Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas” (Morrow, 1995).

For instance, here at Uzbekistan Restaurant in Hollywood, the bread looks like a small pizza with very puffy edges. It goes naturally with cuminy kebabs and a salad of thinly sliced onions. Alford and Duguid clearly have a lot of affection for such Central Asian breads; they devote the first chapter of their book to them.

Flat breads are ancient; the very first breads were all flat. Having been around so long, they tend, as the book makes clear, to have a more intimate relationship with the rest of a meal than high-risen bread does. Often they enter right into the composition of dishes, going under, over or all around other foods or getting layered into stews and salads. From pizzas to little savory pies such as the Indian samosa, they also take well to substantial flavorings.

Altogether, Alford and Duguid include about 70 bread recipes in their book. Steamed breads and fried breads, Tibetan breads and Ethiopian breads; Chinese buckwheat bread, Indian chickpea wafers, lacy Malaysian coconut pancakes, tortillas, Canadian berry bannock. With its recipes for traditional accompaniments to the breads--about twice as many as the bread recipes--the book gives a whole different squint on the world’s cookery.

Alford fell into the bread game by easy stages. On graduating from the University of Wyoming about 20 years ago, he got the travel bug. After a spell in western Ireland, he cycled through Italy and Greece, then kept heading east by way of Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan, where he stayed with a friend’s family in Herat.

He ended up in Trivandrum in south India, where he spent nearly half a year. “I went back recently,” he says, “and I was very pleased that so little had changed since the late ‘70s. Five of the six restaurants around the train station were still there.”

Then he spent a couple of months in Sri Lanka, where he really started to study Asian cookery. “I asked a woman I was renting a room from to teach me to cook,” he says. “Two days later she’d set up a little work station for me in her kitchen.” Then he spent five months in Thailand, where the family of a Thai friend back in Laramie conveniently turned out to own a restaurant in Bangkok.

He went back to the University of Wyoming to get a master’s degree in creative writing, which he eventually earned, though with a year off for more travel in India, Nepal, Taiwan and China. His thesis (a little unusual for creative writing majors) ended up being a nonfiction essay on bread and travel.

He kept traveling. In 1985 he was in Tibet the spring it was opened to the outside world. Back in Laramie, a couple of friends told him of their plan to cycle from Canada to Mexico along the Continental Divide. Alford decided to do the same sort of thing, cycling from Tibet to Nepal over the Himalayas. He wrote to 72 corporations before rounding up a sponsor for the project.

It was in Tibet that he met Duguid, a Toronto labor lawyer on a five-month leave of absence. “She’s always taken long trips,” Alford says. “It was a tradition in her family.” They met on the rooftop of a Tibetan hotel and decided almost immediately to get married.

The next year, Alford and Duguid read that foreigners would be permitted to travel the Karakoram Highway, which was laboriously constructed (though sometimes delayed by unforeseen glacier movements) through some of the most rugged terrain on Earth: the Hindu Kush and the Pamir and Karakoram Mountains. So they cycled from Kashgar, in Xinjiang Province, China, to Hunzaland in northern Pakistan.

They conceived the flat bread book then, but it took a long time to sell the idea. “Lots of publishers wanted a book entitled ‘100 Flat Bread Recipes,’ ” Alford says. “Our idea was a book about the cookery that revolves around flat breads.”

In the following year, 1987, they planned to cycle from Tibet to Sichuan. “But there was a war,” he says, “so instead we went to Kashgar again, this time north over the Kunlun Mountains.”

Boring old Kashgar again? No problem. “Kashgar is a bread-lover’s paradise,” Alford says, his eyes brightening. Two months of this trip were spent at altitudes higher than 15,000 feet, where the only people they met were nomads.

Their first child was born in Toronto in ’87. They’ve been writing for magazines ever since. Their next project is a rice cookbook, but Alford says the book is not closed on breads.

“The more we learn,” he says, “the more we realize how little we know. Breads are just an endless subject.”

KURDISH BULGUR BREAD (Nan-e Casoki)

This slightly chewy bread has a subtle sweetness. Alford and Duguid recommend it with shish kebab (marinate the meat in the juice of grated onions and a little lemon juice) or the Kurdish “salsa,” mezair. Their Kurdish informants insisted that it should be eaten while still hot. For an attractively browned but much crisper result, bake up to twice as long.

2 cups bulgur

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup minced onion

2 cups boiling water

2 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, about

Combine bulgur, salt and onion in mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over and let stand 30 minutes.

Transfer soaked bulgur to food processor and process 20 seconds. Add 1 cup flour and process to smooth texture. Turn mixture out onto generously floured work surface and knead, incorporating more flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking, 3 to 4 minutes. (Alternatively, mix soaked bulgur with flour, turn out on work surface and knead by hand 10 minutes.) Cover dough and let stand until ready to bake, 15 minutes to 3 hours.

Line bottom rack of oven with pizza brick or quarry tiles and heat to 475 degrees.

Divide dough into 8 pieces. On well-floured work surface, roll out 1 or 2 pieces 8 to 10 inches in diameter (work with only as many as will fit in oven at one time). Handling gently, transfer breads to hot pizza brick and bake 90 seconds to 3 minutes, then turn over and bake until breads begin to brown around edges, 1 to 4 minutes longer.

Repeat until all loaves have been baked. Keep finished breads warm by stacking them and wrapping in clean kitchen towel while working on remaining breads.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 breads.

Each bread contains about:

247 calories; 301 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.79 gram fiber.

KURDISH SALSA (Mezair)

Think of this as a Mexican salsa cruda with mint. It’s meant to be spooned over rice or sopped up with flat bread.

2 to 3 jalapen~os

1 large clove garlic

1/2 cup lightly packed chopped parsley

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 pound ripe tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Cut jalapen~os in 1/2 on large cutting board and remove stems and seeds. Mince jalapen~os, garlic, parsley and mint.

Slice and chop tomatoes and add to other ingredients. Mix as you continue to chop by turning mixture with flat of knife. Transfer mixture to small serving bowl and stir in salt and lemon juice.

Makes about 2 cups.

Each tablespoon contains about:

4 calories; 20 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber.

PUEBLO SUNFLOWER SEED BREAD

Alford and Duguid recommend these cracker-like breads, with their sunflower-seed undertone, with coffee or for a children’s snack. The Times Test Kitchen suggests brushing the breads lightly with oil right when they’re removed from the oven and sprinkling a few sunflower seeds on top.

1/2 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil

3/4 cup water, about

Lightly grease 1 large or 2 small baking sheets.

Mix sunflower seeds, flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter. Mix in enough water to form dough. (If using food processor, process dry ingredients with butter until mealy and slowly add water, processing until ball of dough forms, 15 to 20 seconds.)

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece out until about 5 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Place breads on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees 8 to 9 minutes.

Makes 8 breads.

Each bread contains about:

145 calories; 255 mg sodium; 4 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.85 gram fiber.

SARDINIAN PARCHMENT BREAD (Carasau)

This crisp bread, full of the taste of grain, need not be rolled to a neat shape. Alford and Duguid write, “[These] breads are meant to be thin and handmade-looking, like old parchment.” In Sardinia, carasau is often topped with olive oil and rosemary. It requires a pizza brick or unglazed quarry tiles for baking.

1 cup durum semolina, plus extra for dusting

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

3/4 teaspoon salt

Warm water

Mix together semolina, flour and salt in large bowl. Gradually stir in about 3/4 cup warm water, until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Form dough into ball and transfer to work surface dusted with mixture of semolina and unbleached white flour. Do not knead dough at all.

Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece in flour and semolina, then flatten with palm of hand. Keeping remaining pieces of dough covered with cloth, roll out one piece as thin as possible, rolling from center outward and rotating slightly between each stroke of rolling pin. If bottom starts to stick, add more flour to work surface and turn dough over. Dough should end up roughly circular and 9 to 10 inches across. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Place dough on floured pizza oven peel or underside of baking sheet and slide gently onto pizza brick. Bake 2 minutes at 450 degrees, then turn bread over and bake until bread is crisp with golden spots, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Place bread on rack and repeat process with remaining pieces of dough. Bread can be eaten warm or kept several weeks in dry place. To reheat, brush lightly with olive oil and put in 350-degree oven several minutes.

Makes 8 breads.

Each bread contains about:

127 calories; 222 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.10 gram fiber.

DEEP-FRIED WHOLE-WHEAT BREADS WITH CUMIN (Puri)

These Indian “balloon breads,” yellow from turmeric and delicately sweet-sour, have an attractive cumin flavor.

2 cups whole-wheat flour, sifted

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

Oil

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

Mix together wheat flour, white flour, pepper, cumin, turmeric and salt in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon oil over dry ingredients and rub in with fingers. Add yogurt bit at time until easily kneaded but slightly stiff dough forms. Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead 8 to 10 minutes.

Rinse out bowl, dry and oil lightly. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Divide dough into 16 balls of equal size. Flatten each ball between lightly floured palms and set aside; do not stack. Cover dough with plastic wrap.

When ready to fry, roll out each puri into circle about 6 inches in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap. Heat oil for deep-frying in large wok or deep pot over medium-high heat until cube of dried bread dropped in oil browns in less than 1 minute but not instantly, 375 degrees.

Lay 1 puri gently in oil. It will sink at first and then rise to surface (if it browns or blackens in less than 15 seconds, oil is too hot). After bread has risen to surface, touch gently with wooden spoon or slotted spoon with quick downward movement; puri should puff up into ballon. Turn over and continue to cook 10 to 15 seconds.

Remove puris as cooked to paper-lined platter or bowl to drain. Serve hot.

Makes 16 breads.

Each bread contains about:

148 calories; 168 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.35 grams fiber.

RAJASTHANI CORN BREAD (Tikkar)

2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, sifted

1 cup corn flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 (1-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapen~o, seeded and finely chopped

1 medium tomato, finely chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Lukewarm water

6 to 8 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee

This is one of the thick, savory breads of western India. Alford and Duguid recommend serving yogurt and lentils with it as a simple meal. Bottled ghee, or clarified butter, is available in Indian markets.

Mix wheat flour, corn flour and salt thoroughly in bowl. Add onion, ginger, garlic, jalapen~o, tomato and cilantro. Mix well. Make well in center and pour in 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water and stir to make dough that can be kneaded. Add more water if too stiff, more flour if too sticky.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead 4 to 5 minutes. Wash, dry and lightly oil bowl. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On generously floured surface, flatten each piece into disk, flouring both sides. Cover 2 disks with plastic wrap (do not stack) and set aside. Using rolling pin, roll out 2 disks to circles about 7 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.

Heat 2 heavy skillets over medium heat. Transfer 1 bread to each skillet and cook until bottom is covered with brown speckles, about 7 minutes; turn and cook on other side until done, about 7 minutes. When done, brush 1 teaspoon oil or ghee on bread, turn over and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute; repeat on other side. Transfer to plate.

Repeat process with remaining disks of dough. Serve breads immediately, or wrap in cloth to keep warm.

Makes 8 breads.

Each bread contains about:

281 calories; 448 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.34 gram fiber.