If you want to impress your friends with a recipe that really isn’t that hard, please make this recipe. I bet you have all the ingredients on hand right now. The only tricky ingredient is rosemary. Now please don’t go buy some cut rosemary. Spend your money instead on a rosemary plant. Stick it someplace in your yard; it will change your life. It doesn’t need any special care, and you’ll find you use it all the time! Anyway, this flatbread is like a cracker, but it’s a whole different sport than what you get at the store. It’s so yummy. You can use it for a dip, but trust me that it’s delicious on its own. Roll it out super thin if you want it really crisp; but a little thicker gives it a great, chewy/crisp texture that’s awesome too. This recipe was in Gourmet in 2008.
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.
Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.
Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).
Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.
Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.