"Armenian lavash is believed to be among the world’s oldest breads, dating back as many as ten thousand years. This simple flatbread makes a great vehicle to mop up sauces or to serve with soups and dips.
The small amount of dough goes a long way because it’s rolled so thin. There are thicker versions from other parts of central Asia, as well as super-thin cracker versions. We pull our lavash from the oven when only lightly browned and still chewy. Like so many other things, this is a matter of taste, so if you’re looking for a cracker bread, bake it until deep brown and crispy. Experiment with several doughs— this a very versatile recipe. "
Olive Oil Lavash with Assorted Seeds
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A Note from Feedfeed
This recipe is from Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Copyright © 2018 by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and reprinted with permission from St. Martin’s Press. Purchase your copy here.
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- Recipe Card
Prep time 5mins
Cook time 10mins
Serves or Makes: Several Lavash
Recipe Card
FOR THE LAVASH:
ingredients
- 1 1/4 (plum-size portion) Olive Oil Dough (recipe below)
- olive oil, for rolling
- assorted seeds, for sprinkling
- coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven.
Step 2
Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a ¼-pound (plum-size) piece. Quickly shape it into a loose ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
Step 3
Place the dough on an 11 × 16-inch piece of oiled parchment paper and flatten the dough, using your hands. Drizzle more oil over the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to evenly roll the dough until it is the size of the sheet of parchment and as thin as possible. Make sure the dough is an even thickness throughout.
Step 4
Peel off the plastic and sprinkle the dough with seeds and salt. Prick the surface all over with a fork to allow steam to escape and to prevent puffing. There’s no need for resting time.
Step 5
Slide the lavash-covered parchment paper directly onto a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Rotate and continue baking until evenly baked, but still soft.
Step 6
Let cool briefly and serve warm. Once cool, it stores very well in plastic bags. Unlike hard-crusted breads, lavash is not harmed by airtight storage.
Step 7
VARIATION: CRACKER LAVASH Follow the recipe for Lavash but bake until crisp, an extra 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure it is baking evenly by rotating the baking sheet often as it bakes. Once the cracker has cooled, break it into pieces and serve, or present it whole and let people break off pieces on their own.
FOR THE OLIVE OIL DOUGH:
ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon granulated yeast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Step 1
Mix the water, yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil in a 6-quart bowl or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
Step 2
Mix in the flour without kneading, using a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle), a Danish dough whisk, or a spoon. If you’re not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
Step 3
Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises for 2 hours.
Step 4
The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate the container and use over the next 12 days.