Do Americans often eat a flatbread made from white flour and water and fried in a pan?
Posted by Such-Magazine-1240@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 299 comments
Here in Ukraine it is quite popular because it is cheap, filling and goes well with many dishes as a substitute for bread. The best flatbreads are made on a thick home stove, but you won't find it in the cities. So I wonder if it is possible to find such a product in the USA?
CautiousEconomy1160@reddit
O my in the past couple years has making your own bread even become more common. Even still I rarely eat homemade bread of any type, let alone flat bread. Typically homemade bread where I am at is just like muffins or cake or something.
PseudonymousJim@reddit
Just flour and water? That's a nope.
However, flour, buttermilk or soured milk, butter, eggs, and baking soda is mixed up and fried in a pan by almost every family I've ever known. It's called pancakes.
Those ingredients were abundant and cheap in most rural farming communities.
Such-Magazine-1240@reddit (OP)
not pancakes duh, i mean things like tortilla but thicker.
PseudonymousJim@reddit
Yeah, no.
Reason: we have so much butter, eggs, and milk, that there's almost no scenario in which people would make a pan fried bread without those ingredients.
A pancake is just an enriched pan fried flatbread poured as a batter. If you want it more like a tortilla thin the batter, but then it's basically Lefse; which is also very popular here.
Spam_Tempura@reddit
I mean you can find all kinds of flatbread in the US. From Frybread and tortillas to Naan and pita.
Dr_Watson349@reddit
Right but to answer OP, no Americans don't normally make this type of bread at home.
Like I would be shocked if I knew a single person who did even once.
brzantium@reddit
My MIL makes her own flour tortillas, but she's originally from Mexico and lives in a city that's majority hispanic.
Suppafly@reddit
My son learned to make them in spanish class and we bought a press and a bag of the corn flour and have made them a few times, but honestly I think it probably cost more to buy the stuff than to just buy the finished product. A thing of 30 small corn tortillas is like $2.
brzantium@reddit
The impression I get is that flour tortillas are hella cheaper and easier to make than corn tortillas. I could be wrong.
thelordchonky@reddit
Store ones are good, but nowhere close to homemade. It's a shame a lot of people have never tried doing it, it's SO good.
But yeah, you're right on flour tortillas being cheaper and easier. But I personally prefer corn tortillas.
vulkoriscoming@reddit
Homemade corn tortillas from Masa are not the same thing as the trash you buy in stores. They are not comparable. It is like homemade English muffins and store bought. The people who say these are the same things should be sued into oblivion.
Suppafly@reddit
I'm not sure what you think the difference is, unless that less than 2% of whatever makes a difference.
vulkoriscoming@reddit
They taste much better than store bought. After making my own, I never buy them anymore. Maybe you used a bad recipe when you made them. Use wax paper or parchment paper to keep them from sticking to the press. Cook immediately on a hot pan with butter In it.
AluminumCansAndYarn@reddit
My besties step mom makes her own tortillas. She is Hispanic but the city we live in is not majority Hispanic. And I don't think she's originally from Mexico. But they're good.
therealdrewder@reddit
I make tortillaa from scratch. They're not that hard, and they're better fresh. For reference, I'm not Hispanic.
thelordchonky@reddit
Well, you forgot about the Southwest US and California. Plenty of people I know (family, friends, otherwise) make their own tortillas. It's pretty much a staple in Mexican-American households.
It may not be an overwhelming majority, but a good amount of Americans make at least one form of flatbread. Or even buy them from the store.
Tortillas are just popular in general.
NiceRise309@reddit
Damn, that's crazy. My sister pulls out her tortilla press at least once a week, I couldn't live without homemade bread
Kittalia@reddit
But does she make it with just white flour and water? That is the part that is odd to me. I make all types of bread and flatbread and I've never made a bread that has no salt and no fat or rising agent. (often only one or the other)
ritchie70@reddit
It's not "just flour and water."
The recipe I found had flour, egg, plain kefir or yogurt, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Looks like you mix it up and cook in a cast iron pan on the stovetop.
MaleficentMousse7473@reddit
This is a pancake isn’t it? This is how i make pancakes anyway
ritchie70@reddit
It looks pretty tall - more like a Johnny cake. At least what I found.
MaleficentMousse7473@reddit
Mm sounds good! I’m going to look it up and make one
Hawk13424@reddit
Swap the flour for cornmeal and you get a hoecake.
TooManyDraculas@reddit
There's all sorts of unleavened flatbreads. Including tortillas, tortillas tend to contain fat though.
Agreeable_Skill_1599@reddit
I use self-rising flour & water in my fried bread. Then I use melted butter to fry it.
Limberpuppy@reddit
My grandmother made them with lard. The women in my family would get to together on Saturdays, bring all the children, and make hundreds of tortillas for the week. She had this massive cast iron pan that look kind of like a wok and they’d set it over a fire in her driveway. Tortillas will never taste as good again.
Kittalia@reddit
Yum!
Number1AbeLincolnFan@reddit
She fries flour tortillas?
NiceRise309@reddit
I suppose it depends on your definition of fry, but she cooks them in a pan as opposed to baking in an oven or air drying or whatever
lonerstoners@reddit
Every Native I know makes fry bread regularly and there’s a lot of Natives around here, so it’s actually normal here.
AgentAaron@reddit
I make my own Tortillas and Sopapillas. Growing up in a mostly Spanish household, I probably would have been disowned if I was caught with storebought tortillas.
lol...not to say that I havent "cheated" as an adult and bought them...but they are surprisingly easy to make.
sanityjanity@reddit
It's so hard to find sopapillas in most of the US. A lot of places serve them with chocolate syrup as dessert (and charge a ridiculously high price for them)
Zizi_Tennenbaum@reddit
You've never had homemade tortillas??
sanityjanity@reddit
I had a babysitter make me homemade tortillas. They were delicious, but very thick. I put syrup on them, because they reminded me of pancakes, and because I was a kid
ketamineburner@reddit
I make homemade tortillas and pita a few times a year. They taste so much better than store bought.
SuperPookypower@reddit
Isn’t this describing a pancake? Seems pretty commonplace.
Dr_Watson349@reddit
Do you think a pancake is the same as bread?
SuperPookypower@reddit
If a non English speaker says flatbread, yes, I think it could be a pancake. And vice versa. There’s not a lot that differentiates the two.
13thmurder@reddit
It's not that uncommon. Making pitas/tortillas/rotis is very easy to do and uses ingredients most people would have on hand. It's less time and effort than driving to the store.
Dr_Watson349@reddit
It you grabbed 100 random Americans how many do you think actually do this regularly? Maybe what 5 people at best? 5% is uncommon.
13thmurder@reddit
All the ones that can cook.
IntroductionFew1290@reddit
I do, but I’m a weirdo who makes their own bagels
Alarming_Flow7066@reddit
I make naan and pita at home a lot. They are pretty easy.
aracauna@reddit
I think native people making fry bread is still pretty common and the rural parts of the south, it's not uncommon to see lace cornbread or the slightly thicker patties that are made like this but are corn-based instead of all wheat.
alwaysboopthesnoot@reddit
Depends. Husband is Greek American (dad and grandfather born in Greece), and does this. Neighbor is Native American and she does this and gives us leftovers. Fried dough balls and canned biscuits with a center hole cut out then fried up as “donuts” were big where I grew up, so I’d think whether people do or don’t, depends very heavily on the region where you live and the populations of people living there.
Pan bread, fry bread, skillet bread, they’re really not that uncommon in the US.
MrKamikazi@reddit
Wow, I'm the opposite. I figure I know many people who have tried this at least once. Initially just due to being interested in cooking but also including some people who have gone keto or low carb and want to make flatbread for their diet. I doubt that most of them regularly make such a bread (I certainly stopped after trying a number of batches two summers ago) but they have tried it.
No_Dependent_8346@reddit
OiHo, never been to a Native's home? frybread's a way of life in some places
Spam_Tempura@reddit
frybread is love, frybread is life.
coldlightofday@reddit
Lots of Americans make tortillas.
Mediocre_Daikon6935@reddit
I make my own naan several times a year, and I am white as the driven snow, so it isn’t a cultural / family thing.
Naan is tasty and easy to make.
I’ve tried to make some other flat breads, and manage to mess it up.
Seguefare@reddit
Native Americans have frybread, which is also seen in Southern home cooking sometimes.
Hawk13424@reddit
Hoecakes.
Hawk13424@reddit
In my family in the South, we make fried cornbread (aka Hoecakes) probably every to every other week.
remes1234@reddit
I have made Pita bread and flour tortillas a few times from scratch. They taste better than store bought, but not enough to offset the cost of buying them. Not worth the effort. I have also made marshmallows a few times.
Outrageous_Dream_741@reddit
My son did it this week. Most Americans don't simply because it's easy to go to the store to buy bread, but it's not like it would be weird for a person to make their own.
TexasDonkeyShow@reddit
Check out the Outdoor Boys YouTube Channel
ajkimmins@reddit
Many of is do this in the southwest. Frybread fried in oil, tortillas. These are common here like biscuits in the Southeast.
Jemmaris@reddit
https://sjeanwriteswordpress.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/whats-a-mormon-scone/#:~:text=Mormon%20scones%20(also%20called%20Utah,for%20%243%20to%20%245%20each.
Frybread is absolutely a homemade bread enjoyed in the Rocky Mountains. My mom would often make it for Sunday dinner, since that was a day she had more time to cook.
coysbville@reddit
My mother used to make griddle cakes pretty often growing up. It's like OP described but with cornmeal instead of flour. Definitely a poor thing
azerty543@reddit
You don't know someone who makes pancakes?
ATLien_3000@reddit
Pancakes are a lot more substantive of a recipe than what OP describes.
azerty543@reddit
It's literally what op described plus sugar.
NurseKaila@reddit
Plus eggs. Plus baking powder. Plus milk. Plus salt.
azerty543@reddit
You don't need any of those things for pancakes. They make them better sometimes, but basic pancakes is just flour, baking powder, sugar, and water. A bag of self riding flour, water, and sugar, cooking oil and a pan is all you need.
NurseKaila@reddit
You just listed 5 ingredients while responding to a comment calling you out for insinuating that pancakes are made of only flour, sugar, and water.
You can make pancakes without milk and salt but I bet your pancakes taste like shit.
azerty543@reddit
I mean, cooking oil is kind of a given. So I forgot baking powder, big whoop.
NurseKaila@reddit
If you leave the leavening agent out of baked goods it’s quite a big whoop.
shammy_dammy@reddit
Pancakes are not a flatbread. They are a leavened bread.
illarionds@reddit
US/Scottish ones are leavened. British/French are not.
shammy_dammy@reddit
And the op is specifically asking about US.
illarionds@reddit
You're quite right, mixed up which sub I was in.
Mea culpa!
Opening-Ad-2769@reddit
If you count pancakes, yes, a lot of people in the US make it lol
GhostofMarat@reddit
I do this with leftover sourdough starter. Sprinkle some cheese on it, maybe some hot sauce, and fry it in butter. Fuckin delicious
Docmantistobaggan@reddit
I’ve made naan before. Really really easy and simple
AngryPrincessWarrior@reddit
I make flour tortillas sometimes and I’m a white lady.
They’re surprisingly easy to make!
Grizlatron@reddit
I do this occasionally. Usually I add yogurt to make sure it's tender.
ExistentialistOwl8@reddit
Last person I know who did this was a very broke grad student.
Derwin0@reddit
Americans don’t typically make any type of bread at home. 😂
IthurielSpear@reddit
Do you know about the number of sourdough bakers hiding out like ninjas in every community? We are here, and we are a coalition lol
IthurielSpear@reddit
I do!!! I make flour and corn tortillas!
I also have made naan when I want something hot and garlicky 🙂🙂
moonwillow60606@reddit
I make homemade tortillas from scratch.
pbmadman@reddit
Op asked if people ate such a product and if it could be found here. Both of which are yes.
DukesAngel@reddit
I make homemade naan quite a bit. It's one of my favorite breads.
fuck_you_reddit_mods@reddit
I have, when pancakes/biscuits are too much work but I still want some bready thing for my gravy
Opportunity_Massive@reddit
I’ve made langos, which sounds very similar to this, but only because my ancestors are Hungarian
InannasPocket@reddit
I make various forms of flatbread, not daily but a few times a month. But I also make other types of bread too. The people I know who are into making their own bread almost all have some flatbreads in their repertoire.
Those who don't have the habit of making their own will eat them from a restaurant, but might not really think about the difference, they're just like "yum bread thing to go with my XYZ".
Loves_octopus@reddit
OP asked if we eat them, not if we make them.
WilJake@reddit
I grew up in a home with homemade tortillas all the time and I'm not even Latino. Is it really not common?
MdmeLibrarian@reddit
This is heavily dependent on where you live. In 93% White New Hampshire, I learned what a tortilla press is from this thread.
sanityjanity@reddit
I met a guy from NJ who didn't even know the word tortilla. He insisted on calling them "wraps".
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
yeah but most people are not making it fresh themselves, they are buying it pre made.
helbury@reddit
One has to remember that Americans cook less than anywhere else in the world, only spending 23 minutes a day in the kitchen on average (source). A 2019 survey found that only 20% of Americans cook everyday (source).
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
That survey isn’t from 2019. It also says this.
helbury@reddit
Yeah, that is a good point. 50% of Americans cooking four times a week or more is not that bad. I myself do cook a lot, but I don’t cook every single day. I’m probably an outlier though. I will have days where we eat only things made from scratch (including things like bread, yogurt, stock), but then I’ll have “fuck it” days when we eat cold cereal and frozen pizza….
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
Luckily I did not grow up in a house like that, but its quite sad.
That sad, in the past 10-20 years, enjoying good food has gained A LOT of traction, and I would assume people are applying that at home as well. I know I had a roommate that grew up somewhere that never cooked and had bad food, but she taught herself and is the most amazing cook now.
CelestialRavenBear@reddit
People don’t usually make this at home, but they may buy it in a grocery store.
oligarchyreps@reddit
Massachusetts here. Never heard of this.
sanityjanity@reddit
Our most common flatbread is a tortilla, but it's more likely steamed than fried.
You might like naan, which is a thick Indian bread, but the store bought kind isn't as good as the restaurant kind.
If you ever have a chance to go to a pow wow, you might like fry bread or a "Navajo taco" (which is taco meat, lettuce, tomato on fry bread)
dobbydisneyfan@reddit
We don’t make our bread at home typically so I couldn’t even tell you if we have anything like that because that’s how removed from the bread making process I am.
pgcooldad@reddit
Yes, but I live in a large city with a very diverse population. And probably the largest Arabic population in the USA (and I don't mean this in a bad way).
Kali-of-Amino@reddit
We eat flour pancakes with syrup for breakfast, flour pancakes with sausage links and sauerkraut for supper, and cornmeal pancakes with beans or chili for lunch.
Appropriate-Owl7205@reddit
No Americans don’t typically make that kind of quick bread. If they make a quick bread it’s typically American style biscuits but they’re more likely to purchase something premade.
DadooDragoon@reddit
It's possible to find it, sure
Can't remember the last time I has anything like that though
verminiusrex@reddit
I make a couple variations of flatbread, but not regularly. Either flour tortillas, or a naan style dough that contains dairy.
FarCoyote8047@reddit
Do you use solely water and flour?
Such-Magazine-1240@reddit (OP)
salt of course.
Nofanta@reddit
Was a popular poverty food during the Great Depression when flour and oil were all people could afford. Our standard of living is way past that these days though.
QuesoDelDiablos@reddit
Not really. I know about it because I had a buddy from Oman who would make it frequently (although adding a bit of salt). So apparently it is popular in the Middle East. But I haven’t seen it in America otherwise.
AfternoonPossible@reddit
We made roti growing up pretty regularly.
Meowmeowmeow31@reddit
The only pan-fried American bread I can think of is fry bread. It’s a Native American dish. The most common types of flatbreads sold in grocery stores are tortillas, naan, and pitas.
kidthorazine@reddit
Pan fried biscuits are definitely a thing (in addition to the aforementioned cornbread), not a flatbread though.
nowthatswhat@reddit
Pancakes?
ATLien_3000@reddit
Cornbread hoecakes are a thing
Special_Trick5248@reddit
The way so many Americans ignore the South….
Rev_Creflo_Baller@reddit
Hoe cakes were slave food. We have a collective amnesia of it.
Hawk13424@reddit
Lots of foods were slave foods. Doesn’t mean they weren’t good or that we don’t want to eat them today.
Erroneously_Anointed@reddit
"Grandpa, we talked about this! Vegetables cooked with pork counts as pork!"
Special_Trick5248@reddit
😂….that’s a real issue. Boondocks was just describing reality.
gornhole@reddit
Yup. I'm a black woman born and raised in GA. Pan fried cornbread was a staple in my household growing up.
Hawk13424@reddit
White guy that grew up in GA and we eat them all the time as well. Nothing better with pinto beans or many of the stewed greens.
ATLien_3000@reddit
For us it's usually just Thanksgiving now. But yeah.
KoalasAndPenguins@reddit
Flabread is popular as a component of a lot of dishes. In my house, we mostly use it for homemade flatbread pizzas.
PrimaryAny6314@reddit
I think you can probably find anything in the US but I would say that fried flatbread is not common unless eating "ethnic food" like Indian etc
madogvelkor@reddit
Technically pancakes are a flatbread fried in a pan, but most Americans wouldn't think of them that way. It's a very common breakfast food, usually served with syrup as a sweet dish.
There are also some cornbreads that are traditionally cooked in a cast iron skillet on a stove top or fire. Though cooking in an oven is more common now. In the US corn was a lot more common and cheaper than wheat historically so the cheap home made bread was corn-based.
edwardothegreatest@reddit
Most flatbreads in America are found in Mexican, Indian, and middle eastern establishments. Although if you’re in the southwest part of the US Native Americans make fry bread which is what you describe.
Mayor__Defacto@reddit
I mean you’re basically describing a tortilla.
g0thfrvit@reddit
It’s not a popular bread here but I buy some from the store and eat it as a snack bc each piece is only 60 calories and it’s so good
frank-sarno@reddit
I make a thing called frying pan or camp bread often enough. Pretty much just water, flour, sugar, salt, butter and yeast. I used to do this when camping but make it at home more often.
MeanTelevision@reddit
We have a lot of cultures here so the short answer is yes.
Sounds like fry bread.
I think flour + water for a simple 'bread' is ancient and universal.
PerformanceDouble924@reddit
You can buy tortillas here for very little money, so unless you've got a family tradition of making them, or you just love making them from scratch, it's usually easier just to buy them.
LonelyWord7673@reddit
Tortillas is the first thing that came to mind. Other inexpensive fillers are rice and pasta.
Quantity-Used@reddit
“Fried in a pan” would usually mean something fried with a lot of fat, like Native American fry bread, which only a small percentage of Americans eat. Some Indian breads are fried - but not like fry bread - and most are baked. Tortillas are cooked on hot metal, but not really fried. Some Asian breads are also cooked in a hot pan, but again, with very little fat.
Hawk13424@reddit
Hoecakes are similar to fry bread.
Such-Magazine-1240@reddit (OP)
yeah they making without oil or butter, because too harmful.
Appropriate-Emu-2745@reddit
Is it really just flour and water? The US eats lots of flatbreads but they usually include yeast or some other leavening and/or a fat as well.
joepierson123@reddit
Yeah I make it all the time it's just flour and water. I mean you can add baking powder or yeast if you want it more fluffy but not needed.
Use a cast iron pan takes 2 minutes to cook.
moonwillow60606@reddit
I grew up eating hoe cakes which are similar but made with cornmeal instead of flour. There are a variety of recipes, but the ones my mom makes are simply cornmeal, flour, salt & water.
Rev_Creflo_Baller@reddit
Interesting that they're "hoe cakes." Originally, a hoe cake was masa (nixtamalized corn flour) and water and was literally cooked over a fire on the flat surface of a hoe by enslaved workers in the field. White folks who knew that history would never associate with it, and neither would Black folks.
Agreeable_Skill_1599@reddit
Our family calls these "cornbread fritters."
rectalhorror@reddit
Mexican sopes are similar albeit topped with the usual taco toppings. All the best tacquerias near me sell them and they make a nice change of pace from tacos and burritos. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sope_(food)
moonwillow60606@reddit
Oooh. That looks good. I make really good chicken tinga and I bet that would be great with sopes.
TexasDonkeyShow@reddit
Not often. Unless you’re the Outdoor Boys.
LoriReneeFye@reddit
No. We do not.
We BUY flatbreads (flour tortillas and such) but very few Americans make their own.
Heck, probably half of Americans rarely use their stove, or even know how it works. They prefer to use a microwave oven for everything.
I don't have a microwave, don't want one. No air fryer either. I know how to use my stove and oven, and I do use them. (I make popcorn on the stove, always have. My mother taught me how to "pop corn" on the stove when I was maybe 9 years old.) I just can't be bothered to "make bread."
On the other hand, I don't eat a lot of bread in the first place. I buy 20 flour tortillas at a time. That's my bread, but I don't eat tortillas every day.
StromboliOctopus@reddit
No, not at all. Never . We eat white bread 95% of the time.
AnymooseProphet@reddit
Yes, we call it a flour tortilla and we often make burritos with it amongst other things.
Adventurous people will make a flat bread from acorns but you have to leech out the tannic acid first.
However corn is grown in very large quantities, so corn tortillas and corn bread are also very common.
Icy_Huckleberry_8049@reddit
No, not like that but we have many different variations of something that is similar
pfta4@reddit
It's not a popular dish but it's something we all have seen and eaten before. Usually many restaurant or store will have them. But not really standard either.
Suppafly@reddit
I'm sure some people make it from scratch, but pretty much any flat bread like that, whether it's naan or tortilla or pita, is pretty cheap to buy at any grocery store and likely even cheaper at ethnic grocery stores.
TheRandomestWonderer@reddit
My dad called it hoe cakes and made them all the time when we got in a pinch.
LTora213@reddit
You can find flatbreads from all over the world in the USA from tortillas to naan frybreads and lavash flat breads, especially in NYC.
Live_Badger7941@reddit
I think the closest thing that would be considered an "American" food (as opposed to a food native to another country that's made here by people from that country or people who learned to cook it from friends or from recipes) would be pancakes.
Pancakes have more ingredients than just water and flour, but they're a food that's made by mixing flour and several other basic ingredients to make a batter which is then pan fried.
They're usually considered a breakfast food.
azuth89@reddit
Most Americans don't make any kind of bread at home frequently.
There are many flatbreads around, some leavened and some not.
Fit-Rip-4550@reddit
Americans eat whatever they want. Rule is if you are willing to search for it and pay for it, you can find it.
geekycurvyanddorky@reddit
Yes, I eat flatbread (pita or tortilla) nearly every day, and fry bread a couple times a year. I have family that eat flatbread daily, usually with 1-2 meals. The most popular flat breads are tortilla, pita, naan, and fry bread (fry bread was made out of necessity by Native Americans when they were forced into reservations and forced to consume rations provided to them by the government). Many people don’t make their flatbread at home, but some people do. It’s far more convenient to just buy them from the store, especially for people that don’t have the storage space for a lot of cooking equipment and ingredients.
zebostoneleigh@reddit
Possible to find? Absolutely. Common for multi-generational Americans to eat (let along prepare for themselves at home)? No. Not really.
GoodbyeForeverDavid@reddit
Probably the most popular flatbreads are tortillas, naan, and pita. Those are eaten pretty regularly. Cooking then at home is a lot less common. I've made naan a couple times. But restaurant naan is better and less time consuming.
coysbville@reddit
Growing up poor in the hood, my mom would sometimes make griddle cakes at home. They are similar to what you described, but with cornmeal instead of flour
KR1735@reddit
The closest most Americans get to doing anything like this on a regular basis is pancakes. And I'm talking the thick, buttermilk flapjacks in North America, not the thin savory pancakes you encounter in Eastern Europe and in Asia.
They're also strictly a breakfast food. Though there's nothing stopping you from eating breakfast food for dinner, I suppose. My grandma likes to do that.
charlieq46@reddit
As others have said, you can find various flatbreads, but I can't think of any that are just four and water. Tortillas require a fat (lard for the best tortillas), and naan and pitas are both leavened (require lil yeasties). Those unfortunately are the only flatbreads my uncultured ass knows about, so I may be missing something.
Such-Magazine-1240@reddit (OP)
oh don't worry dear, they also make with a bit of salt and eating instead of bread with cracklings, scrambled eggs or beans.
charlieq46@reddit
Mmmm that sounds tasty.
CommercialWorried319@reddit
Sure you can find such a product, depending on specifics you might have to hunt a bit.
Tortilla's are very common and sold at Walmart and various Mexican stores and bakeries.
Almost any flat bread I can think of is sold at grocery stores except maybe fry bread, not sure about that one because I've only gotten that from vendors at certain events.
Even Subway has a flat bread option.
r2k398@reddit
I eat tortillas.
Reader124-Logan@reddit
In the southern United States we make something similar with cornmeal. Names for it vary; the most simple recipe is “hot water cornbread”, but there’s also lace bread, hoecakes, corn pone. Delicious with greens or soup.
No_Dependent_8346@reddit
Native American's do frybread at least weekly in most areas.
SecretaryBubbly9411@reddit
Sounds like flour tortillas…
woodsred@reddit
How has nobody mentioned pancakes? That's essentially the same thing, but we usually add milk and/or eggs. People don't think of them as flatbread... but they are. One of the classic American breakfasts. They are thicker than what you're describing though.
Another one I haven't seen mentioned is Norwegian lefse, which is made by people of Scandinavian heritage in the Midwest. A few towns in WI & MN have lefse festivals, even.
HedgehogDry9652@reddit
Never.
Pitiful_Lion7082@reddit
I do, but I'm definitely not an example of typical American culinary choices.
wairua_907@reddit
Fry bread maybe . But I think warm milk is used and baking soda .
sparklingwaterll@reddit
We make pancakes. Which could be described like that I guess.
Swimming-Book-1296@reddit
We don't normally make it outselves, we normally buy them at the store. Tortillas are the most common kind here.
TheLastRulerofMerv@reddit
I feel like a derivative of this is available basically every location that has access to wheat flour.
huuaaang@reddit
Only if I eat Indian food (naan). Or totillas if that counts.
Futhebridge@reddit
Isn't that a tortilla? Yea we eat those.
semisubterranean@reddit
Are you referring to palyanytsia? If so, that's not really something many of us make or can find at the store. However, American pancakes are somewhere between palyanytsia than nalysnyky/blini. Pancake batter is better than dough, and we don't knead it. Crumpets/English muffins are also similar in some ways, but not the same.
When I lived in Kyiv, one of my favorite breads available at my neighborhood bakery was lavosh. You can buy that in America. However, the most common kind of flatbread in America are tortillas.
montanalifterchick@reddit
It's really popular in Native culture where I live in the US. Fry bread. "Ndn tacos" are frybread with taco toppings and they are broadly popular with the general populace, too.
Mixture_Boring@reddit
This is not typically something Americans make at home, unless you count culturally-specific foods like tortillas. Pancakes are similar, but aren't used as a substitute for bread, they are pretty breakfast-specific and are eaten with specific toppings. In the southern US, you might find cornpone, which is a type of cornbread that can be cooked on a griddle on the stove but is more frequently baked in the oven.
Delli-paper@reddit
Most americans will just buy tortillas rather than make flatbread.
The_Brain_FuckIer@reddit
Speaking as a native american, we make basically exactly what you're describing, fry bread fried in lard. It comes from the rations the US government would send us on the reservations, which was usually just a bunch of flour and lard. Goes great with red chile stew, also great alone with honey on it. That was one of my favorite breakfasts as a kid.
Rowaan@reddit
I'm American. My whole family always made this type of bread. It was inexpensive, easy to make (even for young people), and really versatile. In the area where I grew up (Midwest), it was not uncommon for families to make these. They could be used to eat with soup, or be covered in refried beans; wrap a grilled sausage in or just as a snack with a slice of cheese. I still make a big batch once a month and freeze them in packs of 2.
They are commercially available in many markets these days.
joepierson123@reddit
Yeah I make it all the time
CupBeEmpty@reddit
You can absolutely find it in the US both in the grocery store and at bakeries.
It isn’t as popular as our standard loaves of sliced bread but it’s available.
I also make naan when I am in the mood and it is so damn good when fresh and is great with all kinds of food and dead simple to make.
Also, stay safe my friend. I support your country and am praying for peace and some kind of victory for you.
Such-Magazine-1240@reddit (OP)
thank you, same for you with your chaotic president👊
CupBeEmpty@reddit
This is a very chaotic timeline to be sure.
NorwegianSteam@reddit
The garlic naan sized for the toaster has become an addiction of mine the last 9 months or so. Toast that bitch, put on some hummus and a fried egg, you're all set.
CupBeEmpty@reddit
Oooh I definitely do eggs with it but hummus and egg is going on the list.
Honestly I like to have one with chunky peanut butter and honey when it’s toasted and the peanut butter gets a bit melty.
NorwegianSteam@reddit
Some chili crisp thrown in on occasion doesn't go unappreciated.
aloofman75@reddit
It is common in the sense that plenty of it is made and eaten here. But I would bet that most Americans never eat the kind of flatbread that you’re referring to.
charliej102@reddit
Few Americans cook their own bread, of any type, since it is cheaply and widely available in all forms at local stores.
shammy_dammy@reddit
Yeah. Tortillas. Pita. Frybread. Everybody has a flatbread.
BuyThisUsername420@reddit
I made my own naan several times and love it, Native American “fry bread” for “Indian Tacos” is big here in Oklahoma. Tortillas are a staple in my house
DIYnivor@reddit
I love naan, tortillas, fry bread, etc but flatbread isn't a classic American food staple.
livelongprospurr@reddit
My family is from the south, where corn is queen; and of course we loved hush puppies. Cornmeal bread made in a skillet, fried in oil. Wow, so good.
mattisaloser@reddit
In Appalachia, where cornbread reigns, sometimes people will take cornmeal batter and fry it in flat pancakes and they just call it fried cornbread (versus baked), otherwise the flatbreads are as others have described.
fitava79@reddit
I think of frybread when I read your post. It is popular in the SW and I believe is a Native American food. It’s quit yummy.
Loud_Insect_7119@reddit
It is Native American. There are a few types of indigenous fry breads with slightly different origins, but the popularity in the Southwest is largely attributed to the Navajo, who adopted it as a staple when they were forced to stay at Bosque Redondo and were starving to death because their traditional means of survival were taken from them when they were forced off their homelands. One of the few rations they were given by the US government was flour, so...
Then it stuck around after they reclaimed their homelands because it is really good.
fitava79@reddit
That is really good information. I live in NM but didn’t grow up here. I thought it was a native cuisine but wasn’t 100% sure. It is definitely a popular food here.
Loud_Insect_7119@reddit
I'm glad it was helpful! Sometimes I worry that I'm coming off as pedantic and annoying when I nerd out about topics (and I'm sure I do sometimes, lol), so it's nice to hear.
Different_Ad7655@reddit
Let me clue you in that America is a very very large country and not everybody eats the same thing. I have no idea where you get these stereotypic impressions maybe too much TV, too many movies or serial coms
ViewtifulGene@reddit
We don't often make pitas at home. But every grocery store sells them.
We have two styles of pitas. There are pita pockets that you tear off part of the edge and stuff it with meat and veggies. Then there are thicker, foldable pitas that we use for gyros etc.
Many stores sell pita chips for snacking.
huazzy@reddit
Everything/Anything can be found in the U.S if you look hard enough.
phonemannn@reddit
I’m so sick of this non-answer being the top comment in every post in this subreddit. No OP, most Americans are not making stovetop flatbreads often. You can find flatbreads, pita, naan, most popularly tortillas in grocery stores no problem but the vast majority of Americans don’t make their own bread.
ATLien_3000@reddit
I'm so sick of so many answers in this sub being some form of, "I don't know about something in my corner of the US, so it must not exist."
Usually made by the same person who readily laments elsewhere in this sub that Europeans just don't understand how big the US is.
PS - my 6th generation American spouse, and 5th generation American mother in law, routinely make a bread very similar to what OP describes (cornmeal instead of white flour, otherwise the same).
abbot_x@reddit
Pita and naan are baked, though.
Previous-Artist-9252@reddit
Both pita and naan can be baked or cooked on the stovetop.
abbot_x@reddit
True, but would you call that frying?
Lovebeingadad54321@reddit
I would call a fried, flour based dough, cooked on a stove top a pancake.
ScuffedBalata@reddit
that's an eggy dough that fluffs when cooked.
Flatbreads that he's talking about are oil and flour and stay flat, more like a flour tortilla, but greasier.
abbot_x@reddit
Can you also make a pancake in the oven, though? That is where I'm thinking there's something different going on. Need to think about this more.
Lovebeingadad54321@reddit
There is a version of pancakes referred to as “Dutch babies” that are baked in the oven.
Previous-Artist-9252@reddit
I don’t speak Ukrainian but I do know translation theory. It is cooked on the stove top in a frying pan so I think “fried” would apply in this case.
Frying is not exclusive to deep frying in fat.
IthurielSpear@reddit
Yes but frying implies that there is some oil/fat in the pan, even if it’s not enough to deep fry.
Previous-Artist-9252@reddit
Yes.
IthurielSpear@reddit
I make my naan on the stovetop but it’s not fried.
anclwar@reddit
They also said that most people aren't doing this in the cities, so I don't think they're explicitly expecting Americans to make it, either. I think they were just sharing that the best version is homemade. Homemade bread is always better than store bought bread, regardless of where you live.
Sorry_Nobody1552@reddit
I agree.
huazzy@reddit
Then there's a misunderstanding about what OP is asking.
I'm answering the question in the text
You seem to imply that OP is asking whether American make their own bread. That's not how I interpret the question.
phonemannn@reddit
“Do Americans often eat a flatbread made from flour and water and fried in a pan”
“The best flatbreads are made on a thick home stove, you won’t find it in cities” (implying homemade)
randomwords83@reddit
Or Pitas or Naan. All are yummy lol
Tacoshortage@reddit
Or Tortillas for that matter.
Lovebeingadad54321@reddit
Tortillas can be either corn or flour. I prefer corn tortillas myself.
strumthebuilding@reddit
Pita and naan require more than just flour and water
ExistentialistOwl8@reddit
Traditionally, Americans who cook will make things like biscuits, which over here involves flour, baking soda, and a fat (usually butter). It's a bit like an unsweetened scone.
melston9380@reddit
I make naan at home from yoghurt and self-rising flour, also tortillas from flour, baking powder, salt and lard. I've helped making a Native American feed where 200 pieces of fry bread were made by five ladies - but usually I buy things like sandwich bread and english muffins.
ATLien_3000@reddit
Closest I can think of are cornbread hoecakes; cornflour instead of white, but otherwise the same.
Popular in the south; less common than they used to be but still plenty popular.
BookLuvr7@reddit
I can't speak for everyone, but my husband and I make our own naan. It's basically the same with yogurt added. We also make focaccia.
Like others have said, we have different kinds of breads from all over the world including flatbreads.
Ok_Dog_4059@reddit
During the early years of America this was somewhat common especially in war. Soldiers could mix a little flour and water and sit it on a stone in a fire. I think as far as modern America we have so many various breads we have one for each type of meal. Bread sticks with pasta is common but with soup we go crackers or sourdough. If we are having meat we will have rolls. Almost all of our current flatbread uses have come with the countries food like gyros or taco's.
To add to this I am northwest US so my experience will not include probably 49 other states experience.
DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit
Tortillas are very popular
alexanderisaflounder@reddit
No, but after I started baking YES it goes with everything and takes a short amount of time to prepare compared to other breads. In my experience, Americans only know how to cook enough to get by (with a microwave) unless they are interested in cooking as a hobby.
CtForrestEye@reddit
Fried dough (or anything fried) is often sold at state fairs. You can get it with sugar, cinnamon sugar, or sauce. A local diner near me sells it. We'll rarely make it at home as we're fat Americans trying to stay away from fried food.
DesignerCorner3322@reddit
We have access to lots of flat breads here in the US as we're pretty multi-cultural - each has a slightly different preparation method and maybe one or two small amounts of ingredients - you just may not find a commercially available version of what you are used to unless you explicitly go to a restaurant catering to the Ukraine's cuisine.
Its especially diverse in cities - Naan, Pita, Corn or Flour Tortilla, Lavash, Chapati, Roti, Kulcha, Matzo, Foccacia, Khachapuri, frybread, crispbread. They can be as simple or as complicated as you want if you have extra ingredients. They're almost all more or less the same in that they're some kind of flour + water (or oil) and maybe a little yeast depending, they differ in prep method, heat applied, resting time, size, shape etc.
MuscaMurum@reddit
Do Americans often make flat bread in a pan using flour and water? The answer is no.
Lots of tangential answers here that don't address your question.
Important-Jackfruit9@reddit
My mom used to make a fry bread like that. Her people were from the Ozarks and before that Appalachia, and I understand it was traditional for them.
sneerfuldawn@reddit
I eat all sorts of flatbread. Love it. If I feel like getting messy I'll make homemade fry bread, Native American bread, and it is absolutely delicious.
moonlets_@reddit
Tortillas. Here they are tortillas. Often they are corn.
BullsOnParadeFloats@reddit
Tortillas have fat in them, and flour tortillas are more common in the US, like they are in the northern states in Mexico.
kermitdafrog21@reddit
Another vote for “when I make tortillas they do not have fat in the dough”
BullsOnParadeFloats@reddit
I should have pointed out specifically that flour tortillas have fat in them, as that is what OP is using to make their flatbread.
PikaPonderosa@reddit
My homemade tortillas are just masa, water, and salt. Wheat flour tortillas do need some fat though.
b0jangles@reddit
I’ve made corn tortillas many times and they are just corn flour (masa) and water.
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
The kind of flatbread OP is describing is not the same as tortilla. It's typically a bit thicker and has a different texture.
brieflifetime@reddit
No. They are different things and you can find flat breads from all over the world in most cities in America. Along with tortillas.
Spam_Tempura@reddit
Honestly my first thought was fry bread, but I could see why people would think Tortillas.
One-Warthog3063@reddit
Most in the US buy their bread or flour based equivalent. Few people bake their own bread, but there do exist in the US.
ScroogeMcDuckFace2@reddit
no. bread fried in a pan isn't all that common
Sorry_Nobody1552@reddit
Not that I know of. You have to be closer to nicer areas or large cities to be exposed to flat breads IMO. I never had rice or tortillas growing up in the Midwest or being exposed to southern cooking, its def a regional thing if people eat it. Native Americans have a flat bread/fry bread, but I've never had it.
somecow@reddit
No. Tortillas are a thing though (especially in central and south texas). Sure, flatbread exists, but not something you make at home. We don’t really make tortillas at home either, you can get fresh ones anywhere.
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
Most americans do not make any bread at home with any regularity, even if it is very VERY cheap and easy to make.
bigscottius@reddit
Yes, we eat flatbread here.
Foreverforgettable@reddit
My family is Puerto Rican (but born and raised in the US) and we make Puerto Rican arepas. It’s flour and spices (depending on your mood-sweet, savory or stuffed) or with sofrito-a cooking base made out of vegetables then fried to perfection. It’s delicious.
smpenn@reddit
In the Appalachian Mountains, "fritters" are very common.
Basically, it is cornbread that is poured into a pan and fried rather than baking it.
It's a staple in a lot of homes.
Opportunity_Massive@reddit
My ancestors are Hungarian, so we make and eat langos, which sounds very similar to this. However, we use boiled potatoes in the dough, instead of just flour and water.
NiceRise309@reddit
Just flour and water? Probably not.
Tortillas, Lefse, other traditional flatbreads? Absolutely. Both homemade and bought at a store. I am a big fan of Joseph's Greek style pita.
Firlotgirding@reddit
I have been making self raising flour/greek yogurt combo flat bread for a while and it’s pretty good and versatile
evil_burrito@reddit
A tortilla, you say?
battlebarnacle@reddit
Are you referring to Palyanytsya?
If so, we really don’t have breads like that widely available. You’d need to find it at an Ukrainian or Eastern European specialty store or bakery.
cottoncandymandy@reddit
I go to the indian store and buy family sizes packages of frozen Naan. I eat it with a lot of different foods besides indian. We also make our own flat breads. We have tortillas and fry bread from Indigenous peoples. Some people make their own flat breads. I feel like every culture has a flat bread. I could be wrong 🤷♀️
biggcb@reddit
They can be found in most grocery stores, like pitas, naan, tortillas, etc., but most people are not making them at home.
webbess1@reddit
Almost certainly, but your best chance of finding it would be in an area with a lot of recent Ukrainian immigrants.
Rex_Lee@reddit
Yea, it's called a tortilla
abbot_x@reddit
Yes, that's a wheat tortilla or flour tortilla, though Americans almost always buy them premade and don't make them at home. Like other tortillas, these tortillas are normally made into discs and are served with Mexican or Tex-Mex food.
In general we don't eat many other fried wheat breads.
We do have a common fried wheat bread called pancake, but it is usually sweetened and made with eggs. It is considered a breakfast item. I think if an American only had wheat flour, a stovetop, and a pan, they would try to make something like pancakes.
There is also frybread, which is specific to the Navajo Native Americans. It is basically a starvation food that was eaten when the Navajo were displaced and given very little food by the authorities. It was incorporated into Navajo cuisine.
Some people have mentioned flatbreads such as pita and naan. But these are baked breads!
Odd-Help-4293@reddit
Do you use something to leaven it (make it rise)? Yeast, baking soda, etc?
"Pancakes" are a popular breakfast food in the US. They're flat breads made with white flour, milk, egg, and baking soda, cooked in a pan and topped with sweet syrup.
Pita bread is a flatbread, I think from Greece, that's made from white flour, water, and yeast and baked in an oven. That's popular.
Tortillas are flatbreads made from corn meal and water and fried in a pan. They're originally from Mexico, but are popular in the US.
Meilingcrusader@reddit
Pancakes? Because we do eat pancakes a decent amount. Though there's usually eggs in the batter too. We also make a lot of cornbread. I guess those aren't really "breads" in the classic sense though
Gimlet64@reddit
You can easily find flour tortillas in almost any American supermarket. They are often used to make quesadillas, essentially a Mexican grilled cheese sandwhich, but they can be filled with all sorts of meats or vegetables. Eating tortillas plain would be a bit odd.
Pitas and naan are also common, as others have said. As you will note, all these flatbreads come from other cultures. We are a nation of immigrants although many Americans forget this. In thebright community, you might find flatbread similar to what you have at home. When I think of Ukraine and bread, I usually think of rye bread, though.
OP, I would make one odd suggestion. Do a search on the word 'runza' and see what you find. It's a big filled pastry, a bit like a pierogie or a Cornish pasty. I think runzas are mainly found in Nebraska. Some say they are a Ukrainian food. What do you think?
procrasstinating@reddit
Sure. International House of Pancakes.
nyki@reddit
We call them Naan, gryo bread, pitas, or just flatbread here and yes those are easy to find. But a quick googling shows recipes that are quite a bit thicker with extra toppings/fillings that look delicious and I don't think I've seen those.
strumthebuilding@reddit
Nope. And people claiming naan fits this description are wrong. Naan requires yeast at least, and probably a couple other things.
Herdistheword@reddit
Most Americans don’t traditionally eat flatbread, but some version of it should be available in nearly all grocery stores.
When you say Ukraine, flatbread, and filling, it reminds me of a women from Ukraine who sells Pirozkhi (spelling) with different fillings at our local farmer’s market. Some of the best tasting stuff I have had in awhile. She usually sells out within the first hour.
Such-Magazine-1240@reddit (OP)
make business though, Good for her.
gordonf23@reddit
They exist, but it's not common as a general american food. And the ones that are similar to what you describe would mostly be described as ethnic foods: pita bread, paratha & naan, or tortillas.
Also, as a general rule, Americans buy bread, they don't cook/bake/fry bread.
Hello_Hangnail@reddit
I buy tortillas, but I'm not much of a cook
Traditional_Bee_1667@reddit
Very common in New Mexico it was called fry bread. People made it at home all the time.
There’s also Naan and Pita bread.
cavall1215@reddit
Most Americans will purchase their breads versus homemaking them even in rural areas. Pita, naan, and tortillas are all readily available at most grocery stores.
wifespissed@reddit
I live in an area with a large Native population so we eat fry bread a lot.
FrauAmarylis@reddit
Americans. Buy. Bread.
It’s rare for Americans to create bread.
HalcyonHelvetica@reddit
No, it's not that common. We have a lot of versions of flatbread from different cultures and countries, but plain flatbreads usually aren’t high on our list. American Indians (the natives) have a flatbread called frybread. It’s the state bread of South Dakota.
Laughingfoxcreates@reddit
Yes. I bake instead of fry tho. Slightly healthier. (Slightly)
El_Polio_Loco@reddit
Throw in some leavening agent and that's basically pancakes.
Spud8000@reddit
no. we DO have flatbreads, such as Pita bread. but we use it in sandwiches mostly, and do not bother to cook it first. it comes in the bag pre cooked
Dio_Yuji@reddit
Flour and water only? Doesn’t that make dumpling wrappers? Yes, we eat those
JadeHarley0@reddit
Flat bread is popular. But it isn't a daily staple. Most people eat it at restaurants or buy it pre made from the store. I don't know anyone who makes it themselves.
Ok-Use-8890@reddit
Hell yea I’ll make flat breads and use them with spinach artichoke dip.
Rj924@reddit
When you don’t get paid til Friday, you get creative.
tcrhs@reddit
No, I’ve never eaten or cooked that. My Grandma used to make cornbread with almost every meal because my Granddaddy liked it.
Kwitt319908@reddit
Alot of grocery stores sell these in the bread aisle. Aldi has a pretty good Naan bread too.
brian11e3@reddit
In our household, we don't use flatbread, but we do use tortillas for tacos, quesadillas, breakfast burritos, and chicken wraps.
FilibusterFerret@reddit
Tortillas. We eat a lot of tortillas. They came from South and Central America. They can be made of flour or cornmeal.
They are great for everything. Peppers and onions with beans, rice and or meat. Eggs and salsa. My mother used to fill them with lamb and an apple, walnut and cinnamon mixture. Super good.
ZaphodG@reddit
I learned to make those camping when I was 12. Flour, water, and baking powder. I haven’t had anything like that in decades. The US eats pancakes and waffles as breakfast food. That has egg, milk, and baking powder. Flour tortillas and flour sandwich wraps have shortening in them to keep them pliable. Those are extremely common.
I fry corn tortillas in a dry pan all the time. My spouse prefers the crispy blue corn taco shells in a box so I make some of each any time I’m making tacos. We had that on Monday.
I always have flour tortillas/sandwich wraps and corn tortillas in the refrigerator. I don’t buy yeast-leavened bread very often.
Appropriate-Food1757@reddit
Tortillas, Mexican in origin. We also eat pitas
DrGerbal@reddit
We got flatbreads. What you’re describing sounds like what would be a tortilla here. Which is way more common here. That we get from put brother to the south of us.
OldCompany50@reddit
Thousands and thousands of restaurants serve all types of flatbreads
Indian Mexican Mediterranean
Bawstahn123@reddit
Depending on the thickness, such food would likely be called a "pancake".
Most Americans would be more familiar with the sweeter breakfast version, usually made with salt, sugar and some kind of leavener (like baking soda and buttermilk). But they can be "savory" and used as bread: I make them when camping, in the style usually termed "bannock".
The other flatbread Americans would be most familar with would be tortillas, which we get from our Hispanic neighbors to the south. They are usually pretty thin, more like a wrap than a roll, and they are usually made of maize or wheat-flour.
Naan from India are getting popular recently.
DasderdlyD4@reddit
Fry bread
DefrockedWizard1@reddit
when I do make them I use lentils instead of wheat flour
Tristinmathemusician@reddit
Flour tortillas are the closest thing here, although they’re rarely made by hand because of how time consuming it is and the widespread availability of premade tortillas are. Usually, if you’re making them at home, you’d add baking powder so it’s not technically an unleavened bread like what you describe. It’s the closest thing I can think of though.
OrdinarySubstance491@reddit
Yes
mustang6172@reddit
Look into flour tortillas.
EffectiveNew4449@reddit
Flatbread of any sort is not traditionally an American thing. However, many communities in the US eat it and it's grown in popularity a lot in recent years.