Six Seasons: Wholemeal Flatbread with Australian Dukkah
Did you know the calendar of the South West’s Nyoongar people includes six different seasons? Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba and Kambarang all reflect the changes in the natural world that come with the passing of time over a year, and each is traditionally used as a guide to what to harvest and where to move across the land.
In this, the final instalment of our Six Seasons series, we’re once again partnering with our friends at Lighthouse Baking to bring you a recipe featuring ingredients found in south-west Australia – each fitting with a Nyoongar season. April and May is the Djeran season – the time traditionally thought of as the season of adulthood, when the cooler weather begins. Banksias start to display their flowers, ensuring there are food sources for the small mammals and birds that rely upon them, and cooler nights bring dewy mornings. Foodstuffs at this time of year included the zamia seeds that were collected and stored in the previous season, as well as the root bulbs of the yanget (Bullrushes), freshwater fish, frogs and turtles. The cool, wet days also saw the traditional mia mias (houses or shelters) being repaired to make sure they were waterproof and ready for the cold months ahead – and in the spirit of staying cosy, here’s a recipe for a warming wholemeal flatbread with deliciously seasonal dukkah.
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) Lighthouse Wholemeal Bread, Pizza & Tortilla Flour
7g (1 1⁄2 tsp) baking powders tbsp (45mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1⁄2 cup warm water
Australian Dukkah
Premium olive oil, for serving
Method
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while mixing continuously.
Add the water and mix to a stiff dough; If dough is too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of extra flour. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Evenly divide the dough into 5 portions (approximately 75g each) and roll into balls. Flatten a ball of dough and roll out into a circle 3mm thick (or 20cm in diameter). Repeat for the remaining dough.
Put a non-stick pan on low heat. When the pan is hot, quickly and carefully transfer the rolled out dough on. Cook for 30 seconds on each side. Repeat until all flatbreads are cooked.
Serve with a bowl of olive oil and Australian Dukkah.
