Lapyoshka Russian Flat Bread Recipes

UZBEK LEPYOSHKI

Steps:

• In a large bowl place the sour cream, sugar, salt and yeast.
• In a saucepan on the stovetop warm the milk, water and butter. The mixture should be very warm, NOT hot. If you keep it on the stove top too long, just let it cool a bit.
• Remove milk mixture from heat and pour into the bowl. Mix everything.
• As you are mixing (with your hand or the mixer), slowly keep adding the flour.
• Once flour is combined, form dough into a ball. Lightly flatten and cover with a lid and then a few kitchen towels to keep the dough warm. (I place foil over a bowl then the towels so the towels don't fall into the bowl.) Let rise about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.
• GENTLY divide dough into four. Form dough into ball-like shapes.
• Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
• On a lightly floured surface, GENTLY start pressing down into the center of the dough and pull edges out. Keep doing this until the dough is stretched to about 7"-8" in diameter. The center of the dough should be flattened and but not the edges. If you leave the dough at about 7" in diameter or a little less, the lepyoshki will be taller. If you prefer the lepyoshki flatter make them longer in diameter. You should be able to fit 2 lepyoshki onto a large baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough. (I sometimes make 6 small llepyoshki and kids really enjoy them. If making six small ones, three should fit on a baking sheet. Using two large baking sheets, bake all lepyoshki at ones).
• Beat egg yolk and milk for the glaze.
• With a pastry brush, apply the glaze to the tops and sides of the lepyoshki.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds in the middle of the lepyoshki. Let rest and rise until they about double in size, about 30-45 minutes.
• Bake at 365°F for about 35-40 minutes. The lepyoshki should be a nice golden color and hard to the touch. Once they have cooled they will soften.

LEBANESE MOUNTAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup flour, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour in warm water. Whisk together thoroughly, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover bowl and let sit until mixture gets bubbly, 30 to 60 minutes. Drizzle in olive oil; add salt and 1 cup flour. Mix together until mixture forms a sticky (not wet) dough ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If mixture seems too wet, add a bit more flour.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Knead dough until it is soft, supple, and slightly elastic, about 2 minutes. Pour a few drops of olive oil in a bowl. Transfer dough ball to bowl and turn to coat surface with oil.
• Cover bowl and place in a warm spot. Let dough rise until it has doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes. Transfer dough to work surface and knead to remove air bubbles, about 1 minute. Transfer to zip top plastic bag; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Lightly flour a work surface; dough may be sticky so make sure you use enough flour to keep dough from sticking to the surface or your hands (but less flour is best). Break off a piece of dough slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll into a smooth ball. Flatten and roll out into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
• Invert a smooth mixing bowl on work surface; lightly flour the bottom. Lightly stretch the dough and place dough circle on the floured surface of the inverted bowl. Gently stretch dough evenly down the sides of the bowl, working your way around the edges, until it is very thin and translucent, or as thin as you can get it without tearing it.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Flour your hands and carefully remove dough circle from bottom of bowl. Transfer to hot skillet. Cook until blisters form and begin to brown, about 45 to 60 seconds per side. Transfer to a dish and cover, using dish inverted over it to allow bread to steam and stay moist and supple.

LAPYOSHKA (RUSSIAN FLAT BREAD)

Steps:

• Put the sugar in a small glass bowl and add about half of the water. Sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the water and do not stir. Allow to set while measuring the rest of the ingredients. The yeast, water and sugar will begin to get a little foamy.
• Meanwhile measure the flour, salt and baking powder into a pile on a large sturdy work surface. Combine the dry ingredients together a little with your finger tips. Don't worry, it will all get thoroughly mixed later.
• Make a hollow in the center of your pile of flour-like the middle of a volcano. Now, give your sugar, water and yeast a quick stir and pour it into the center of your flour volcano. Be careful that it doesn't get away from you. Now with your finger tips, move it all around until the liquid is pretty much soaked up. Then add the remaining water in the same way.
• You should have a messy wad of ingredients that you can get your hands into. Work all remaining flour into the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. If it's obviously too dry, make a small indent in the dough and add a couple tablespoons more water and work it inches If it's too sticky, toss a little flour on the surface and work it inches You can tell when it's right if you pick it up by one side and it very slowly stretches on its own. It's right when it feels really nice to work.
• Now, the fun part. Here's where you get your therapy. Kneed the dough for a full five minutes. Fold it. Turn it. Push it. Punch it. Really work it. If you don't cheat on this part, you'll have a really nice consistency in your bread.
• After your five minutes of fun, form it into a little mound, cut an X in the top with a knife and pop it in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let it sit in a warm place for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
• Heat your oven to about 400°F When dinner is about 30 minutes away, turn your dough out on your work surface, punch it down and kneed it for a minute. Divide it in half with a knife and form two mounds. Oil a cookie sheet or large baking tray. Stretch your dough into a 16-18 inch round. It will be about ½ inches thick. Don't worry about getting it perfect. Just stretch it however you like.
• Pop the first one in the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden. Remove the tray and turn the flat bread bottom up to cool just a bit. Form another round and bake the second one while you enjoy the first. You'll need the second!
• You can slice this flat bread if you like, but it's much more fun if you just tear it apart! This easy bread recipe goes great with stews, soups, salads, beans, meats, pastas almost anything.

LEPINJA (BALKAN FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam. Stir the warm water and sugar into the yeast mixture.
• Stir the flour and salt together in a separate bowl; add all but about 1/2 cup of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture; mix with your hands until a soft dough forms, adding the last of the flour mixture a little at a time until it clears the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a light cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate, or 'punch down,' the dough and turn out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour; knead for about 5 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover again with a light cloth, and allow the dough to again rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes more.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Deflate the dough and turn turn out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour; knead lightly. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet; shape into an oval about 1/2-inch thick. Set aside to rise a third time for about 30 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until nicely browned and hollow sounding when thumped, 20 to 25 minutes.

TAJIK NON (FLAT BREAD WITH SHALLOTS)

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl, stir in sugar, then sprinkle on yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside.
• Place yogurt and one cup water in a saucepan, stir to mix, then place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lukewarm.
• Add the yogurt mixture to the yeast and water mixture and stir. Add the whole wheat flour one cup at a time, stirring in one direction only as you add the flour then stir for about one minute in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge stand, covered, for 10 minutes or for as long as 2 hours.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over the sponge, then stir in unbleached flour one cup at a time until dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, incorporating more unbleached flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking.
• Rinse out, wipe and lightly oil your bread bowl. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in volume, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
• Position a rack in the top third of your oven. Arrange unglazed quarry tiles on it, leaving a 1-inch gap between tiles and the oven walls (to allow air to circulate). (Alternatively place a baking stone or baking sheets on the rack).
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Gently punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Place shallots and remaining salt beside your work surface, together with a bowl of lukewarm water. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Using lightly floured hands, press each piece into a 4-inch round.
• Work with one round at a time, leaving the others covered at the back of your work surface. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 6-inch round.
• With a fork or bread stamp, or the edge of a wire whisk, stamp a 1 1/2-inch diameter circle at the center of the bread thoroughly, to flatten and pierce it (to prevent it from rising). Sprinkle onto the center approximately 1/2 teaspoon chopped shallot, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of water.
• Quickly roll out and prepare one, two, or three more breads (depending on the size of your oven), then transfer prepared breads to the hot tiles, stone, or baking sheets.
• Begin shaping your next breads as the first batch is baking. Let bake for approximately 7-8 minutes, or until lightly golden.
• Use a long-handled peel (or spatula) to remove from the oven. Place on a rack to cool, then stack and wrap loosely in a cotton cloth to keep soft and warm. Shape and bake remaining breads in the same way.