AuthorSteve Nubie
Lavash is an Armenian thin bread. In some ways it’s similar to Greek Pita Bread and Indian Na’an bread but it may be closest to a flour tortilla. It’s funny how the world finds a way to do variations on the same things.
Lavash is believed to have originated in Armenia and the classic cooking method was on the sides of a hot, clay oven. The individual rounds of the Lavash dough were stuck to the sides of the clay oven for minutes until they were lightly browned and crisp. Common toppings for Lavash ranged from cheese to shredded and tender meat or a simple spread of butter or a jam. Sometimes fresh fruit was piled on top and the Lavash served as a plate you could eat.
It’s highly unlikely that you have a clay, tandoor oven in your home but your bread machine can make the dough part of the process very simple. After you’ve made the dough you cut and roll out the dough on a flowered surface and finish on the pan. The dough should be rolled out very thinly.
Instead of a clay tandoor a preheated cast iron frying pan will do the trick. Do not oil or butter the pan. Be careful too. This recipe calls for a high temperature and you’ll only be cooking the Lavash for seconds on the pan. You want to brown it a bit in spots, but you want it to stay pliable. Use a spatula to turn frequently. Make sure you’re wearing a thick oven mitt anytime you touch the handle on the pan.
You’ll use the basic dough setting to mix and knead the dough in the bread machine and then go through the rising cycles indicated in the directions before you toll out the dough on a floured countertop. You want to roll it out very thin so that you can hold it up to the light and see through it to some degree.
Add the ingredients to the bread pan in the order indicated in the ingredient list and select the basic dough setting. Check the dough when the cycle is complete and if need be, run the dough setting again. You want a very elastic dough.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide into pieces about the size of a golf ball, and cover with a damp kitchen towel for 30 minutes to rest.
Preheat the cast iron pan over high heat.
Roll each ball into a circle about 5 inches across and about q quarter inch thick. If you roll the dough to thin you will get a crispy, cracker result. You can also top before baking with sesame seeds or poppy seeds.
Toss the Lavash on the pan one at a time and turn frequently with a spatula until you see some brown spots. Remove with a spatula and stack one on top of another and let cool. Top with your favorite toppings from fruit to meats to cheese.
Ingredients
Directions
Add the ingredients to the bread pan in the order indicated in the ingredient list and select the basic dough setting. Check the dough when the cycle is complete and if need be, run the dough setting again. You want a very elastic dough.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide into pieces about the size of a golf ball, and cover with a damp kitchen towel for 30 minutes to rest.
Preheat the cast iron pan over high heat.
Roll each ball into a circle about 5 inches across and about q quarter inch thick. If you roll the dough to thin you will get a crispy, cracker result. You can also top before baking with sesame seeds or poppy seeds.
Toss the Lavash on the pan one at a time and turn frequently with a spatula until you see some brown spots. Remove with a spatula and stack one on top of another and let cool. Top with your favorite toppings from fruit to meats to cheese.
