I affectionately call lavash “spice rack velcro,” or a quick and easy way to make a small dent in my growing stockpile of spices. My habit of getting carried away and buying ridiculous amounts of spices in bulk has gotten worse. I don’t even know what I have in my kitchen anymore, but whenever I make this yeasted Armenian flatbread, I have an excuse to dig into The Stash and pick out something. Anything.

I prefer my lavash a bit softer, brushed lightly with olive oil, and topped with at most 2 types of seeds and spices. Anything is fair game. Forgive me for using the most overused food-related cliché, but lavash is as close to a blank culinary canvas as it gets, both literally and figuratively.

The Daring Bakers – Peter Reinhart’s Lavash (Armenian Flatbread)
hosted by Natalie and Shel

recipe adapted from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

Peter Reinhart’s Lavash – Armenian Flatbread

makes 1 half-sheet pan of crackers or 2 smaller loaves

Can you identify all of the toppings? (answers below)

Notes:

• Dock the flattened dough right before baking to keep the lavash from puffing up in the oven.
• If using ground toppings, add after baking the lavash to keep the toppings from burning.

For the Final Dough:

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
bread flour                   1 1/2 cups          6.75         191
salt                            1/2 tsp
instant yeast                   1/2 tsp
honey                             1 tbsp           .75          21
vegetable oil                     1 tbsp           .5           14
water, at room temperature      1/3 cup           3             85

Final Dough Instructions:

Mix             Mix all of the ingredients until evenly incorporated

Knead           10 minutes

Bulk Ferment    90 minutes at room temperature, until doubled in size
                (or retard in the refrigerator overnight)

Shape           Using a rolling pin, flatten into a paper-thin sheet
                (the whole batch of dough will measure approximately
                12x15 inches)

Preheat Oven    350ºF/177ºC

Glaze/Toppings  Glaze with vegetable or olive oil and sprinkle lightly
                with any whole or ground spices of your choice
                (see below)

Bake            Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350ºF/177ºC, until
                browned evenly.

Cool            10 minutes

From top to bottom: shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7-spice blend), sumac, sichuan peppercorns, garam masala, oregano, kalonji (nigella seeds), sesame seeds, pimentón (Spanish paprika).

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Lavash (Armenian Flatbread) aka “Spice Rack Velcro”

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