I blindly made this bread for a dinner that I had been looking forward to for a long time. To be honest, I made this wrap-style bread myself (instead of buying it) because there isn’t a good bakery close to me and I didn’t want to eat cardboardy, stale pitas for dinner. My hopes weren’t very high for this bread – it was more like a means to an end.
But all of that changed. When I tasted it.
Amazing. That’s all I have to say. I don’t have adequate wordage to describe how delectable this wrap bread truly is. It is soft. It is tender. It is chewy and flavorful. It pairs perfectly with savory foods and conversely, it is fantastic drizzled with honey and eaten warm (which is the way my husband devoured at least four of the lovely discs). Later this week, I’ll be sharing with you what I served in the wraps, but to be honest, the hit was when I used the leftovers the next day to make mini pizzas for the kids. Talk about a versatile bread. I am dreaming about when I can make it next. The wrap is pliable so it can easily be rolled up around a delicious filling or cut into wedges and served with a topping of sorts (hummus?) – the options are endless. Oh, and one more thing – the bread is dry-fried over a griddle or frying pan so you don’t have to fire up the oven and heat up your whole house to make it.
*Update (6/10): I’ve made this bread too many times to count since originally posting it and wanted to share that I now almost always make it with whole wheat flour (usually white wheat flour because that is what I have on hand to grind). The results are still extremely delicious and even healthier.
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) boiling water
- 1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR 1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato buds or flakes (I used potato flakes)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast*
Directions
- Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir until smooth. Lightly cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the slightly cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough. It may look like the flour/salt/oil/yeast mixture will never absorb into the boiling water/flour mixture. It will, I promise, but you may need to take it out of your electric mixer, if using one, and knead the flour in by hand or add it very gradually into your electric mixer.
- Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it’s not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky (the dough is fairly stiff, so don’t be worried – just be careful not to overflour the dough). Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour (I let mine rise up to 2 hours).
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute per side (I cooked mine about 2-3 minutes per side and they didn’t dry out), until they’re puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.
Notes
*This recipe works best with instant yeast because it dissolves during the kneading process, so you don’t have to knead liquid into the dough. If you really prefer to use active dry yeast, use only 1 cup boiling water for the initial dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and add this mixture to the dough along with the potato flour mixture. It’ll be somewhat “slippery” at first, but will knead in and eventually become smooth.
Recipe Source: adapted from King Arthur Flour
Bri – I think that combination sounds fantastic! (Can I come??) And yes, I think this soft wrap bread would be the best medium for the wraps. I freeze them all the time and they freeze beautifully. I griddle-bake them, let them cool completely and then put 8 or so in a freezer ziploc bag. I take them out the morning (or night) before I want to use them.
Hey Mel,
I am wanting to double this recipe and was wondering how much yeast I need. Thanks a million!
Hi Bri – I always double the yeast when doubling this recipe – so 2 teaspoons.
Do you heat them up before using? or do you just let them thaw?
Bri – I usually just let them come to room temperature. If they don’t seem pliable enough, I’ll microwave them for 10-20 seconds but usually just letting them thaw is good enough.
Actually, this is an English version of Indian flat bread called Naan, and it is great with any meal or as an appetizer served with Huumus or Tzatziki sauce. I serve it with Tandoori chicken and Tzatziki sauce.
Hi Mel-Just a quick question. Do you use your Bosch mixer to make these? I’m trying to decide whether to use mine or just a regular stand mixer. Is this too small an amount for the Bosch? Thanks for your help.
Beth – I always double this recipe when I make it so yes, I use my Bosch. I haven’t made a single batch in so long, I forget whether it works in the Bosch or not. I think it should be just fine, though.
Made these today for the first time and wow! I doubled the recipe and I am so happy I did! Thank you for yet another keeper!
In most of the rest of the world, this ‘soft bread wrap’ is called Na’an.
It’s been around for thousands, and I mean thousands of years.
Soccer moms, give yourselves a pat on the back for being culturally negligent.
Na’an – it never pays to be snarky and rude. And actually, to be fair, you are incorrect. This potato-flour dough is indeed just what it is called…soft wrap bread…whereas the recipe I already have posted on my site for naan is…well, naan. To my limited “soccer mom” knowledge, traditional naan is not made with potato flour or potato starch. Thanks for the pat on the back, though, and for taking the time to {almost} correct the rest of us.
[...] my best friend has the same name, (Hi Mel!) and because the recipes are fabulous! I saw the soft wrap bread first and then I found the chicken Gyros and I was so excited to try them both. I planned a fun [...]
Hello! So Mel, I made these in my friend’s bosch, I doubled the recipe, and it is only my 2nd time ever making a ‘yeast’ bread. My husband got me a kitchen scale for my birthday (yay!) so I loved that this had weights. when I measured out the wheat (I used whole wheat, store bought in bulk section so I am assuming white whole wheat?) I had much less than 6 cups, so when I put the 4 cups in with the boiling water, I had much less than 2 cups left to mix with the potato flakes & etc. Should I have done that portion by measurement too? Also, when you say don’t include all the extra flour, but that flour has been mixed with the potato flakes & etc, should you leave some of the extra flour out of that mixture?
I have been dying to make this for like 4 months, and finally got up the guts. The wrap was GREAT around the gyro recipe you have, but by itself it was a bit ‘denser’ than I was hoping for. Maybe just because I used whole wheat? Too much flour?
Thanks for your fabulous site!
Mame – yes, that is a little confusing to have the weight measure listed with the ingredients and then have the recipe indicate a cup measure for how much flour to start with. I measure the flour by scale, too, and then use my cup measure to take out of that amount – does that make sense? The wraps are definitely more dense when using all wheat flour – there isn’t really a way around that with this recipe so you might try using half white/half wheat next time. As for the actual flour amounts, if you are going to leave some flour out (which I usually do), leave it out of the potato mixture (so only add 3/4 cup to 1 cup of flour to that portion). You basically just want to achieve a stiff but still slightly soft/sticky dough. I hope that helps a little – let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi, Melanie,
I love your site! I have never commented before, but I make and love many of your recipes. Your recipes and several weeks of practice are the reason my Thanksgiving rolls were absolutely perfect and a huge hit! I made this bread today and it was soft and pliable and tasted great, but my bread didn’t puff up very much and get those nice little bubble spots. It was pretty flat and skinny. Any ideas? I did use freshly ground white whole wheat flour without any white flour added…would this contribute to flat bread? Thanks again for all the great recipes!
Heather – the whole wheat flour will definitely make these little breads more dense than puffy. You might try adding at least 1 cup white flour to help balance that out or try cooking it at a slightly hotter temperature. Hope that helps a bit!
This-is-the-best -ever with the chicken gyros!!! Am loving SO MUCH (and have eaten my weight in the heavenly tzatziki before dinner…)- that am making for mothers day dinner this weekend- HEAVEN.
We LOVE these – especially with your chicken gyros….question .. .have you ever tried making them on your electric griddle to make more than one at a time? Just got the great griddle for mothers day this morning ..and wondering if could use it to dry-fry the wraps instead of one at a time in a pan? THANKS!!
Rachel – I actually use my electric griddle to dry fry these so I can do two at a time, so yes, go ahead and use your new griddle – should work great!
Oh my, oh my, oh my! I have been cooking from your blog for months now and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to find this recipe! I just finished off the first wrap hot off the griddle with a little butter and honey, I couldn’t help myself! I hope the rest survive until dinner!
I made your San Francisco Chops the other day for my family and my parents and it was met with rave reviews and requests for the recipe! So yummy!
I am a little slow but congrats on the arrival of your sweet little girl! I am 8ish weeks away from delivering my 3rd little boy and you can bet I am going to be cooking a few batches of these wraps to throw in the freezer for some nice, cool, easy meals after the little one arrives! Thanks again for all your fabulous recipes!
I’m curious as to how you store this bread to keep it fresh? would the 7 or 8 inch rounds fit into a gal ziplock freezer bag? or would I need to buy bread bags from king arthur flour as this is the only place I’ve seen that sells bags large enough to store homemade bread in? ;also if they are frozen should they have wax paper in between to keep them from sticking? thank you melanie, for sharing your wonderful recipes
Monica – I let the bread cool completely and stack about 6-8 breads inside a freezer ziploc bag (the gallon size). I’ve never had a problem with them sticking, especially if they are completely cooled before freezing. Hope that helps!
Anybody have a gluten-free recipe for these or any suggestions for making them so? My daughter eats GF and she would love these if I can find a way to make them. Thanks
We made these tonight to go with the chicken gyros. My husband fired up the grill and we put the chicken on skewers. Then he made the wrap bread on the grill too. 3 min on the first side, 2 min on the second and they were perfect! He did cover the grill while they were cooking and from what I could tell the temp was between 325 and 350. So soft and delicious!
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Wow! My husband and I are in love with these. I was really skeptical when the potato pearls/buds didn’t dissolve, but during the rising period they softened and once I cooked it, the bread was smooth and delicious!
Just wondering–are you familiar with potato pearls? Are they the same as potato buds? I don’t have flakes and am wondering if the pearls would work, cause I have a ton. Thanks for sharing all your great recipes!
Hi Leah – yes, I know the pearls you are talking about. They are much bigger than potato buds so if you can kind of coarsely grind them in a blender or food processor, you could sub them in.
Just did these for dinner tonight to have with the Chicken Gyros. Wow, they were so good. I have to say for those making this for the first time…I was REALLY skeptical with how the dough was turning out. First of all, when you mix the flour and water together, it’s like a brick and it doesn’t seem to mix ‘smooth’. At least it didn’t for me. They were seriously raggety looking in the beginning, and then when I looked at them after raising (which hardly seemed different), I was sure they weren’t going to turn out. Don’t give up people…I think this is how they are supposed to turn out. They taste fabulous and I’m so glad I did it. They turned out soft and just a great flavor. And the Tzatziki sauce is sooo good. Thanks for another great recipe Mel!!!! 4 STars