Honey Whole Wheat Flatbread with White Sauce, Asparagus and Bacon
Honey Whole Wheat Flatbread with White Sauce, Asparagus and Bacon
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
Flatbread Dough (makes 4 flatbreads or 2 large pizza crusts)
- 3 and ¾ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 package (approximately 2 and ¼ tsp) dry activated yeast
- 1 and 1/3 cup warm water (105-110°)
- 1 tbs honey
- 1 tbs kosher salt
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped off
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
White Sauce (makes 1.5 cups)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 small bunch mixed tender herbs such as basil, chives, parsley, dill, or cilantro
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 green onions, green and white ends roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Hot Honey (makes 1 cup)
- 1 cup local honey
- 1 tbs red pepper flakes
PREPARATION:
Flatbread Dough
Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast over top. Add the honey and use your fingers to lightly mix together. Set aside for 15-20 minutes, allowing the yeast to bloom and bubble up.
Add the flour to the yeast along with the kosher salt and olive oil. Using the dough hook, turn the mixer on low speed and mix until the dough begins to come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl, 4-5 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over a clean counter surface and turn out the dough. Use your hands to continue to knead the dough until it becomes smooth and slightly elastic. Form into a ball. Lightly oil a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball upside down in the bowl. Spin to coat with the oil and flip right side up. Cover with Saran Wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest until the dough has doubled in size, 1.5-2 hours.
Place a pizza stone or heavy-duty sheet pan on the center oven rack and preheat the oven to its highest setting (450° or even hotter if possible for an extra crisp crust).
Turn the dough out onto a freshly floured surface and cut in half. Take one of the halves and cut in half again, creating two smaller balls. Lightly cover these two balls of dough and cover, allowing to continue to rise for 10-15
minutes (called a bench proof). At this point, the remaining dough may be sealed tightly in a freezer bag and kept frozen for 3-4 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature in a large bowl covered with Saran Wrap or a clean
kitchen towel before using.
Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a rectangular shape about 1/8th of an inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet and top with white sauce, cheddar cheese, and asparagus. Sprinkle parmesan cheese overtop and
transfer to the oven. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with bacon before serving.
White Sauce
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Pulse to bring everything together and then allow the blade to run continuously until the cream is whipped and airy. Keep a close eye here to make sure you don’t overwhip
the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until flatbread dough is ready (any remaining cream sauce may be frozen for up to 3 months).
Hot Honey
Combine the honey and red pepper flakes in a very small saucepan on the stove. Turn the heat to low and very gently and slowly warm the honey. You do not want to get to a simmer point, you only want to warm the honey
enough so it becomes easier to stir and the red pepper flakes can be well incorporated. Keep honey over this low heat, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the honey and red pepper flakes to
a jar with a lid. Allow to cool and then the hot honey is ready to be enjoyed with your favorite dishes – we especially like it drizzled over chicken and waffles, and served alongside flatbread with bacon and asparagus.
From Season 6, Episode 3