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HAPPY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BOMBIN' IN! Can you believe it? A whole year of me unleashing my newsletter upon the world. Now, I know some might think celebrating a newsletter anniversary is like throwing a party for your toaster, but hey, I like to celebrate the little victories, especially when they involve overcoming trials and tribulations. Trust me, there were plenty!
Before this, I dabbled in writing, but never about food. I mean, I could whip up my own recipes, but sharing them with others? That was a whole new ball game. And my experience in photography, which mainly involved snapping pics of everything but food. So, yeah, I messed up—a lot. I questioned myself constantly, like a paranoid squirrel unsure of its nut-storing abilities. Even after a year, I must confess, I still haven't found my groove. That's why my holiday break was a godsend. It gave me a chance to regroup, reevaluate, and remember what the heck I was trying to accomplish.
Now, let's get real about this one-year bash. I decided to go full-on selfish mode, celebrating moi and the food I love. No more holiday-themed stuff or dedications to other people (although I have to give a massive shout-out to my brother, the official recipe tester, and Jackie, occasional editing whiz and idea bouncer). This newsletter is all about embracing your inner selfishness and living life for numero uno. Cook for yourself, eat for yourself, and enjoy every delicious bite. It's time to make it all about me!
Now, typically, one would assume a celebration calls for cake or some sweet treat. But hold your whisks. I'm not a big fan of those sugary delights, even though I once dreamed of becoming a baking wizard after high school. Strange, I know. So, let's switch gears and talk about my true loves: carbs, meat (or their veggie counterparts—I'm cool with that too), and potatoes. But hey, we've done that before. So, for this special occasion, I'm sharing my favorite sandwich, the Reuben, with a twist. Instead of regular bread, we're going with a flatbread. Because let's be real, asking you to bake a whole loaf of bread feels like a bit much. But hey, if you ever want a bread recipe, just holler. I'll make it happen.
Now, I must confess, the cornerstone of a Reuben is Jewish-style rye bread. Not having it here might feel like a food crime of the highest order. But in my defense, I tried making a rye-based flatbread. However, rye flour is harder to find than a unicorn at my local grocery store. It's either an online order or a pilgrimage to a better-stocked market in a more bustling area. My goal from the start with this newsletter was to use easily accessible ingredients. So, I scoured the stores in my rural Midwestern town, and alas, rye flour was nowhere to be found.
I had to make a compromise, though it pained me deep in my culinary soul. But hey, if you can get your hands on some rye flour, go for it! Stay true to the Reuben's cultural roots. Just keep in mind that the ratios may differ, and you might need to do a little trial and error. It won't be an exact 1:1 substitution.
Time to talk about the dressing situation. Thousand Island or Russian? There are debates. Some even question the very essence of these dressings and their ingredients. So, here's what I did: I took the best bits from both and made my own delicious concoction. But hey, if you'd rather skip the hassle, feel free to grab a bottle of your favorite store-bought version. No judgment here, folks.
And so many possibilities lie ahead! Did you know there's a cousin to the Reuben called the Rachel? Yeah, I don't know her either, but she's out there, apparently. And let's not forget about turkey Reubens and kimchi Reubens. The world of toppings is your oyster—well, Reuben, in this case. It's like building your own pizza or crafting a masterpiece at Subway. The choice is yours. But me? I'm a classic Reuben kind of guy. Can't resist that timeless flavor.
So here's to me, my little project, and hoping that this year goes a bit smoother. Let's raise our imaginary flatbread Reubens and toast to deliciousness, laughter, and many more food adventures to come!
Reuben Flatbread
serves 1
Dressing
¼ cup (45g) mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard (or other spicy mustard)
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon worchestershire sauce
Flatbread
¼ (55g) cup lukewarm water (about 100° F/38.8° C), plus more if needed
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
⅛ teaspoon sugar (or about a pinch, you don’t need much)
¾ (100 g) cup all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon non-fat milk powder
¼ teaspoon salt
3.5 ounces corned beef or pastrami
2.5 ounces Swiss cheese
2 ounces sauerkraut
Instructions
Make the dressing
1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Set in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the flatbread
1. Mix the water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for about 10 minutes to make sure your yeast is active. It should look bubbly and smell boozy. If you know your yeast is alive and well you can skip this step.
2. Mix the flour, milk powder, and salt in a bowl big enough for you to get your hand in and move around. Once well combined, add the water, yeast, and sugar mixture to the bowl. Mix with your hand until a shaggy dough forms. Depending on the flour you use or the humidity in the air, you may need more or less flour or water. However, it should look a little dry and lumpy. Once at this point, turn the dough out onto a work surface or stabilized cutting board. Start kneading the dough. If it is sticking too much to the surface, add a little flour to your work surface, but not too much. We do not want to add too much flour. Keep kneading until the dough is soft, supple, and has a smooth surface, about 10 to 15 minutes. Do the window pane test if you need to.
3. Roll the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and set in a warm place in your kitchen (I like to put mine in the oven with the oven light on and door shut). Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. It's a small amount of dough, so it wont fill the bowl, but will look plumper than when it began. This may take less time if you're in a hot and humid place and more time if in a cold and dry place.
Assemble the Flatbread
1. Preheat your oven broiler on low and have an oven rack set a few inches from your broiling element but enough space to leave room for an oven-safe skillet.
2. Once the dough has been proofed, add a tiny amount of flour to your work surface. Again not a lot. You shouldn’t need much. Punch the dough down a little and flatten it out on your work surface with the palm of your hand and start pushing the dough into a circle with your fingers. With a rolling pin or cylindrical object (like an empty wine bottle), roll the dough out to 8 inches in diameter and about a quarter inch thick. If, during the rolling process, your dough springs back and is not actually spreading, cover it with a towel or bowl and let it sit for a few minutes. This will allow the gluten to relax and you can continue rolling the dough.
3. Heat an oven-safe skillet, like cast-iron, wide enough for your 8-inch flatbread, over medium-high heat. Add a little oil to the skillet and wipe it around with a paper towel. You don’t want oil pooling around in the skillet. Once heated, add the flatbread to the skillet. Cook the flatbread on one side until you can see it bubbling and puffing up, and smell it browning, about 3 minutes. Check the bottom and see if you have a good amount of browning, and if you do, flip the flatbread over and turn off the heat. Layer the Swiss cheese on the flatbread and put the skillet in the oven under the broiler. Allow the flatbread to broil until the cheese is nicely melted, about a minute.
4. Pull the flatbread out and add the corned beef or pastrami on top. Put it back under the broiler until the meat has heated through, about 30 seconds to a minute. If you prefer your sauerkraut warm, as I do, add the sauerkraut to the flatbread and allow it to heat up, as well, another 30 seconds to a minute.
5. Pull the flatbread out of the oven, move to a cutting board, top it with the dressing, and cut into slices like a pizza or fold it over whole like a large flatbread sandwich.
Tips/Notes
1. If you are someone who likes extra cheese, as my dad would, after you have added the meat and sauerkraut (if you’re heating the sauerkraut) and heated them through, add a little more cheese on top and allow that to melt under the broiler, another minute or so.
2. Milk powder is a popular baking ingredient as it adds richness and softens baked goods like breads. Milk powder can be found in two different places. In the baking aisle next to condensed and evaporated milk or malted milk powder can be found in the dry drink mix aisle next to hot cocoa mixes or Nestle drink mixes. I’ve used both in this flatbread and they work equally well. Malted milk powder has a few additional ingredients that add a little more flavor to the dough that non-fat dry milk powder doesn’t have, but both are delicious, all the same.