Ancient flatbread enjoying billowing sales and options

In Mexico it's a tortilla. In Ethiopia it's injera. It's naan in India and matzoh in Israel.

By whatever name you call it, flatbread is everywhere. And in the United States it is a quickly rising part of the nearly $14 billion bread industry that is crowding shelves from Wal-Mart to Whole Foods.

Not bad for a product that can count its age in centuries.

"It's a 2,000-year-old recipe," says Mike Stimola, president of Sandella's Flatbread, a cafe founded in 1994 in West Redding, Conn., that now has 125 locations. "It's the original bread."

It wasn't long ago that the only flatbread found in most grocery stores were pita pockets and tortillas. Today, dozens of varieties compete with flavorings such as sun-dried tomato, different grains and shapes, even low-carb options.

In fact, flatbread has become so popular that new product launches in the U.S. went from 12 in 2005 to 51 in 2006, says Joanna Peot, spokeswoman for Chicago-based market research firm Mintel International Group.

Cookbook author Naomi Duguid isn't surprised.

When she co-authored Flatbreads & Flavors in 1995, flatbread was still seen as something "a bit marginal" and ethnic, she says. But as chefs began to put flatbread in their bread baskets, it became far more common.

"Now you can go into any grocery store, and there's going to be a whole group of breads you could call flatbread," she says. "We've moved from the conception that bread has to be a loaf."

Healthy eating trends explain most of the growth, says Peot. And fast-food chains have helped, with wraps and other flatbread sandwiches appearing on numerous menus.

MOROCCAN BREAD

From Anissa Helou's Savory Baking From the Mediterranean (William Morrow, $29.95).

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups semolina flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon aniseed
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• All-purpose flour, for kneading and shaping

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and stir until creamy.

In a large bowl, combine the semolina, salt, and anise and sesame seeds.

Make a well in the center. Add the yeast to the well. Gradually add 1 cup warm water, mixing in the flour as you go. Knead to make a rough ball of dough.

Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 3 minutes, then invert the bowl over the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. Knead the dough for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest an additional 15 minutes.

Flatten the dough by hand into a circle 3/4 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone pastry mat. Cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in volume.

About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 1 medium loaf.