Arkatena Recipe

ARKATENA CHICKPEA STARTER: Chickpeas 200g, pounded in mortle/pestle, 300g boiling water

SPONGE for Foam: Coarse flour, up to 200g -send photos

DOUGH: Spice tea 300g(made by scalding salt, bay leaves, anise, nutmeg, mahlep, ginger, gooseberry, and mastic)

Mixture of 300g Village flour (AP flour) and 280g Coarse flour.

1. STARTER: Place chickpeas in quart glass jar. Add enough boiling water to cover. Keep warm at 40°C. After 8 hours add the remaining 300g of boiling water. Let foam develop. This can take 8-11 hours.

2. SPONGE or PROZIMI: Collect foam (avoid liquid) and place on top of some coarse flour in a separate bowl. Sprinkle flour over the foam in the bowl to prevent drying out. Repeat this every 15-30’ until no additional foam is produced. Then add the remaining 200g of coarse flour and gently mix to an even consistency. Keep warm and let rise till double. This can take 30 minutes to 2 hours.

3. DOUGH: Add tea mixture and flours to make dough, leaving out 50g of flour for kneading. Let rise till double. Punch down, form into 2 oblong shapes. Let rise till double this last time. Score deep cuts in each loaf approximately 5-8 times.

Bake at medium high heat, 180°C (350°F) till hollow sounding on the bottom.