Cosi's Flatbread Recipe - Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes (2024)

Stir the yeast, sugar and 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F) in a bowl. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk the flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil and mix with your hands into a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap; set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until slightly elastic, dusting with more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle, about 5 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and set aside again until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, dusting with more flour if needed. Cut the dough in half and form into 2 balls. Roll out each ball into a 12-by-3-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer each dough rectangle to one of the prepared baking sheets and let rest, uncovered, until a dry crust forms on top, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, position racks in the middle and lower thirds of the oven. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack and preheat to 475°F for at least 40 minutes.

Press your fingertips through the dry crust on top of the dough to create a spotted pattern. Gently stretch each piece of dough into a 14-by-4-inch rectangle, then brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put 1 baking sheet of dough on the pizza stone and bake until the bottom of the bread is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to the middle rack and continue baking until golden all over, about 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately brush the top of the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt; let cool on the baking sheet on a rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.