Takakau — Flat Bread

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add the milk and olive oil or melted butter and mix until it has come together.

Turn out onto a floured benchtop and knead for a few minutes until smooth, adding extra flour if the dough is too sticky.

Put the dough back into the bowl, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.

If you want to brush each flat bread with garlic butter, place the butter in a small saucepan, and when melted stir through the crushed garlic and chopped herbs. Cook for 30 seconds, turn off the heat and set aside.

When ready to cook the takakau, dust the benchtop with flour, and cut the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then roll out with a rolling pin to the size of a side plate (about 15cm diameter). 

Heat a frying pan or skillet over a medium– high heat and add enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.

Place one flatbread in the pan at a time, and cook for around 1 minute, until the underside has lovely golden patches and the bread has puffed up on top. Flip the bread over and cook the other side for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until golden. Remove from the pan and brush with butter, or the garlic herb butter if using (melt it again in the saucepan if it has solidified). Keep the cooked breads stacked under a tea towel to keep them nice and soft. 

Best served warm, with slow-cooked meat, or curried chicken thighs, or a kaimoana hot pot.