There are more than 60 types of flat bread made worldwide. Typically, they are classified according to whether they are leavened or not and their layering effect — single or double. Double-layered breads, such as pita, baladi and mafrood, are leavened with sourdough or yeast. Single-layered breads sometimes are leavened and include batter types (injera, dosai and crepes) and dough types (naan, focaccia and tanoor). Unleavened varieties include tortillas, matzos and chapattis. 

Tortillas and arepas are round unleavened bread and are Latin American flatbread favorites. Tortillas are soft, pliable and thin and made from ground corn or masa or wheat flour. Masa is made from corn kernels cooked with unslaked lime and water. They are then shaped and cooked on an ungreased griddle and eaten alone or in recipes such as enchiladas, tacos and other regional dishes. Arepas, made from corn meal, have a crisp exterior and creamy interior and are served plain or with toppings and fillings.

The northern Mediterranean regions give us crispy and chewy breads such as focaccia and ciabatta as well as piadine and the Sardinian pane carasau. They are all made simply from a ball of dough, and are flavored with sweet or savory flavors, such as oils, olives, cheeses, herbs and vegetables depending on regional variations. Ciabatta, a fermented bread made from flour, water, salt, and sometimes olive oil and milk, has a sour taste and is spongy. Pizza, a garnished Italian flatbread, has actually been around for centuries, but today’s style of pizza can be traced back to the 18th Century Naples. 

Flatbreads in the Middle East are eaten with condiments, sauces or lamb. Sometimes the dough is topped with spice mixtures and olive oil, baked and eaten as a snack or appetizer. Pita bread, with its hollow center, makes it ideal for stuffing with salads or meats. Injera, a slightly sour Ethiopian fermented bread, made from teff, corn, barley, wheat, sorghum or a mixture of these, has a spongy texture.

Each region of South Asia has its own specialty and are eaten with meals or as snacks, stuffed with spicy flavorings. In north India, naan, made from wheat flour, sourdough culture and yogurt, is baked in a clay oven and it is a puffy and soft bread. Vegetarians often eat poori, a deep-fried bread made from wheat or lentil flour with ghee and chappatis. In south India, dosa and idli consist of ground rice and urad dal, fermented and grilled or steamed. They are dipped into sauces and chutneys or stuffed with sweet or savory combinations. People in Sri Lanka and south India often breakfast on hopper, or appam, made from leavened rice batter. This bread has a thick, soft, spongy texture in the center and is crisp and lace-like along the edges.

BRUSCHETTA: The bread originated in Abruzzo during olive harvest and later to the rest of Italy. When the oil was pressed, a piece of toasted bread was dipped in it as the vehicle to taste it with. The word bruschetta, meaning "charcoal toasted," is really a Roman slang word, but it has come to be used more often for this type of snack than the more appropriate Tuscan word fettunta, meaning "oiled slice."

FOCACCIA: (Pronunciation:  foh-KAH-chee-uh). There are all sorts of flatbreads called focaccia, ranging from untopped dense, cakey squares to topped pizza-like squares. It is the name for an Italian flatbread that resembles a pizza crust without the topping and is thought to be the first national dish of Italy. 

PANE CARASAU: is a yeasted bread with a crisp, cracker-like texture. They are rolled very thin, and baked a short period of time. They are brushed with olive oil, and topped with rosemary and salt and baked again. 

PIADINE: (Pronunciation: pyah-DEE-nah). This pliable and thin Italian flatbread is usually stuffed with filling, such as meat and cheese, much as tortillas are in Latin America. It is not baked, but rather grilled giving it a different texture and appearance. 

PITA BREAD: Pita bread, a form of Arabic flat bread, is one of the oldest recipes known to mankind. There is also baladi from Egypt, bouri from Saudi Arabia and souri from Libya and North Africa. The word, "Pita" has become a generic term for round, flat bread and it originated from the Greek word "Pitta", which means thin, flat layers.

Pita bread recipes differ from region to region but the basic ingredients are flour, water, salt, sugar and yeast or starter. Other ingredients that may be added include butter, shortening, or non-fat dry milk for flavor and texture. Pita bread dough is formed by hand into a round shape. During baking at high temperatures (usually 500 degrees F), it forms a pocket during baking -- the dry exterior skin of the dough sets and carbon dioxide from the yeast and steam from the liquid ingredients expand until the pressure is sufficient to allow separation of the lower and upper layers. The crust then lightly browns.

PIZZA: is the most and best known dish of Italian cuisine. It is a dough, shaped free-form, square or perfectly round, and simply topped with just sauce and mozzarella or with any topping you choose. They are then baked together.  

Pizza is so popular, especially in my own home. In fact, If I let them, my four kids would eat pizza every night for dinner. It's not a bad nutritional choice because it contains several items from the major food groups: bread, dairy and vegetables (tomatoes), plus any other toppings ranging from vegetables, fruit and meat. 

TORTILLAS: Tortillas are popular. According to the Tortilla Industry Association, "tortillas are more popular today in the U.S. than all other ethnic breads, such as bagels, English muffins and pita bread."

There are two types of tortillas - corn or flour. Each have different ingredients and different origins. Corn tortillas originated in Mexico centuries ago while flour tortillas originated in Sonora, a northern Mexican state. It shares a long border with the US where Mexican cooks had access to white flour and incorporated it in a tortilla recipe. There are only two ingredients for corn tortillas: corn flour (masa) and water. For flour tortillas, there are more: all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil and milk. The ingredients are mixed in one bowl and then kneaded. The dough is then returned to the bowl, covered, and rested for 15 minutes. (This dough will not rise, but it needs a rest.)

Whether corn or flour tortillas, a piece of dough is then rolled into a golf-ball sized ball and then patted out into 6- to 7-inch rounds, between 1/16 to 1/8 thick.  This takes practice and expertise. Some home bakers use a tortilla press for making the thin tortillas. Then, the dough is baked on a hot cast-iron skillet or griddle. Traditionally, tortillas are cooked on a round, dry, earthenware griddle called a comal.

Corn tortillas, like flour tortillas, are best if eaten right after they are made. When baked, hot tortillas can be wrapped in aluminum foil and wrapped in a kitchen towel or napkin to stay hot and tender. Tortillas can be made 2 hours in advance, wrapped and reheated in a 350 degrees F oven for about 12 - 15 minutes. Don't microwave otherwise they toughen. To store, wrap them tightly in plastic, and they will keep, frozen, for several weeks. To serve, let them thaw in their wrappers and come to room temperature.