Garlic Whole Wheat Flatbread (Vegan)

I'm just going to be honest and come out and say it. This morning for breakfast I had an everything bagel with guacamole. Now, before you start judging me, allow me to explain. Last night at work we had leftover bagels that we were able to take home. Being as poor as I am, I'm not about to pass up free food, especially everything bagels- score! What I didn't consider is that we don't have any butter or cream cheese in our house; I rarely consume either of those products. We do have almond butter, but I thought that would be weird. I used to just toast bagels and eat them plain so that's what I was prepared to do until Molly suggested dipping the bagel in some guac. My ears perked up- any excuse to eat more avocados! And you know what? It wasn't half bad! I'd eat it again actually. Plus, topping my bagel with fruits and vegetables is always going to be a healthier option than dairy products loaded with saturated fat and growth-hormones. So the moral of the story is sometimes I eat weird combinations of foods and that's okay and sometimes it's even better that way. 

After that strange, but oh-so-tasty breakfast combination, I thought I should make something a little more...traditional. And what combination is more traditional than garlic and bread? Now for this flatbread recipe you have a few options when it comes to the garlic portion. In my opinion, if you have a little extra time or if you are able to do it ahead of time, you should totally roast the garlic. This will give it a mild, caramelized flavor that won't reek as much havoc on your breath. To roast garlic, all you do is slice the top off of the garlic bulb, just enough to expose the cloves inside. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, rub in the oil well, wrap it loosely in aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until the garlic  is soft. Then you just squeeze the garlic out of the peel and viola! Delicious roasted garlic!

The other options are simpler and will save you some time- just used garlic powder or minced garlic. Whatever you have to do to get that garlic flavor in there! You won't regret it.

This flatbread is great to just have on hand. Whenever I buy flatbread at the store it never goes to waste, I always find ways to use it- usually wishing I had more. You could eat it with your favorite curry dish, use it as a wrap for a sandwich, as crust for pizza or on the side of a salad such as this Curried Lentil Salad.

Garlic Whole Wheat Flatbread

• 1 Package Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Cup Warm Water
• 1 Tablespoon Agave, Pure Maple Syrup or Honey (for non-vegans)
• 1/3 Cup Almond Milk
• 2 Teaspoons Sea Salt
• Garlic (1 roasted bulb, 2 teaspoons garlic powder or 3 garlic cloves, minced)
• 3 1/2-4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• Oil for cooking

Makes 12 Flatbreads.

Dissolve yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Mix in the sweetener, almond milk, sea salt and garlic. Add in flour a little at a time as needed. If you find that the dough is too dry just add a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough is soft again. Turn dough out on to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Return dough to bowl and cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for one hour. An hour later the dough should have about doubled in size, punch it down and roll the dough into 2 inch balls. Place on a baking sheet, cover with towel and allow to rise for 30 more minutes. Preheat pan to high heat and lightly oil. Roll each ball into a thin circle and one at a time place them in the heated pan. Cook 1-2 minutes until the bread begins to bubble, flip bread and cook another 1-2 minutes. Repeat until all the dough has been cooked. Serve and enjoy!

*You can also mix in onion powder, rosemary, coriander, cumin...get creative!

What do you usually top your bagels with?