Armenian Flatbread

Circle B Kitchen

Adapted from a recipe by Gigia Kolouch

1 tablespoon mild honey

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 1/2 to 3 cups unbleached bread flour

1 tsp salt

2 beaten egg whites

poppy, sesame or caraway seeds

za'tar seasoning (optional)

Dissolve the yeast in the water and honey. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until foamy.

Gradually add 1 cup of flour, stirring as you add it. Add the salt. Add more flour until the bread makes a soft, but workable dough.

Turn the dough out onto a counter and knead it for 5-10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl and spray it with water. Let it rise, covered for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a pizza stone at the bottom.

Punch the dough down and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin round - about 1/8". If the dough is too elastic to spread out, let it rest a while and then work on another piece. After the dough is rolled out, brush it with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds and (optionally) a little za'tar seasoning.

Drape the dough over the rolling pin and unroll it onto the stone. (I found this awkward and used my pizza peel to slide the dough onto the stone). Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until it is cooked, but not dried out. Remove it from the oven into a basket lined with a towel. Stack all the bread the same way and eat while warm.