Lapyoshka Russian Flat Bread Food

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.

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.

CINNAMON FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients for the dough in a bowl and add the milk. Mix with slightly floured hands until dough is formed. Knead dough for 5 minutes with slightly floured hands. Let rest dough for about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven (480°F, 250°C). Put the baking tray into the oven. So it will be heated up, too.
• On a slightly floured working plat form roll out the dough with a rolling pin. It should be thin (as thinner you roll it as crispier it will get during baking). Place the dough on baking paper (size of the baking tray).
• Mix egg yolk and milk. Brush the dough with this mixture.
• Mix brown sugar, grounded cinnamon and grounded cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the dough with this mixture.
• Put dough (on baking paper) on the baking tray in the oven and bake for about 5 - 10 minutes. The bread should be done within 5 minutes and will be soft. If you like it more crispier let it bake for up to 10 minutes. During baking the bread will develop several "bubbles".
• Take the cinnamon flat bread out of the oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Cut into pieces and serve.
• NOTE (28 April 2006): you can omit the cayenne pepper, if you don't like it. But I would recommend it, because that spicy taste goes well together with cinnamon. If you are hesitant, just try it with a pinch of cayenne pepper first (I added this note after BestTeenChef has reviewed the recipe. Thanks for the comment).

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.

MOROCCAN FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Stir the yeast into a scant ½ cup tepid water and leave for about 5 minutes.
• Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and yeast water, gradually working it in, until the dough is slightly wetter than that for bread. Knead with your hands for 10 minutes, or until completely smooth and pliable.
• Put all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl, add salt to taste and mix together well.
• Smear your work surface and hands with butter and divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Flatten one portion with your fingers into a very thin square, stretching it as you finish - be careful not to tear it. Spread a quarter of the filling over one half and fold the plain side over. Fold again to form a square. Flatten as thin as possible with your fingers.
• Grease a large nonstick frying pan with a little butter and place over medium-high heat. Place the folded dough in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until lightly golden all over. Remove and place on parchment paper. Repeat the procedure to make the rest of the breads, buttering your hands, work surface and pan before making each one. Serve hot or warm.

TAFTOON - PERSIAN WHOLEMEAL FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl.
• Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water; add 1 1/2 cups of the remaining water and the salt.
• Pour the yeast mixture into the center of the flour and gradually work in.
• Beat with your hands for 20-30 minutes, or use the dough hook on an electric mixer and beat for 20 minutes, gradually adding in as much of the remaining 3/4 cup water as the dough will take (as the dough is beaten it will be able to take a little more water).
• Preheat oven to high (around 450 degrees F or more), and place a griddle on the center shelf to preheat for 10-15 minutes; when hot, lightly oil with a small cloth dipped in oil.
• Turn the dough out onto an oiled board (no need to proof the dough); oil your hands and divide the dough into 6 parts, rolling each piece into a ball.
• Roll out each ball as thinly as possible with an oiled rolling pin and prick all over with a fork or pinwheel, in 3-4 vertical lines across the surface.
• Take the round of dough and stretch it a little across the backs of your hands, and place dough on the smooth side of a cushion or pad.
• Pull the rack out where the heated griddle is on, and turn the cushion over and press down onto it.
• Close the oven and cook 1 minute, then pat down dough to prevent bread from puffing up.
• Bake until surface is bubbly (about 3 minutes), then turn bread over and cook 2 minutes more.
• Remove bread from oven and wrap in a towel.
• Allow oven temperature to reheat before starting another.
• Do not allow rolled dough to rest before baking; prepare just before putting in oven.