Turkish Lavash Bread

What is Lavash Bread?

Lavash is a type of flatbread that is used in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. This bread is generally made from either a leavened dough or an unleavened dough.

The unleavened lavash dough is made using only flour, water, milk, salt, and sometimes sugar. The leavened dough, and arguably the more traditional version, is made using flour, water, yeast, salt, and sugar.

This lavash dough is then rolled into a very thin round disc and cooked in either a hot clay oven or sometimes a wood or brick oven. Today, many people use a non-stick pan, wok, or griddle pan.

In Turkish cuisine, lavas bread is served as one of the sides for kebabs and used to make wraps, also known as dürüm.

Our two other favorite Turkish flatbreads are pide ekmek and bazlama. Check them out too!

Which Country is Lavash from?

To pinpoint the origin of lavaş is very difficult because many cultures and cuisines have influenced each other extremely over the last few decades, even centuries!

Although there isn’t an exact factual origin, no one can argue that it originated in the Middle East. The countries that use it most in their cuisines include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey. Each of these cultures has its own unique twist on the recipe and way that they use it.

Ingredients

Turkish lavash recipe only uses 4 ingredients; flour, salt, yeast, and warm water.

We use all-purpose flour to help get the precise texture and gluten-structure that we need. We need the lavash dough to be flexible yet soft, something all-purpose flour is great for as it combines the characteristics of bread flour and cake flour.

The addition of yeast makes this lavash recipe a leavened one and it requires a resting or proofing period. It is very important to rest your dough and allow it to double in size. This step helps the dough develop gluten strands while also relaxing them. This will make the rolling out step much easier and leave you with a soft lavash wrap.

Warm water is needed to help activate the yeast, so please DO NOT use cold water!

How to Make Turkish Lavash

Turkish lavash bread only has a few simple steps even the kids can help out with! This recipe has the best ratios that give you incredibly soft and flexible bread, perfect for virtually any use!

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Slowly add the lukewarm water while stirring with a fork. Pour the water little by little—you might not need all of it.

When the mixture gets too thick to stir, start kneading with your hands. Keep kneading until the dough comes together. If it feels too sticky, lightly wet your fingertips with water. Press, stretch, and fold the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. This should take about 5-10 minutes. You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook.

Shape the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 40-50 minutes, or until it doubles in size.

Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and place the risen dough on it. Gently press to remove air bubbles. Shape it into a log and cut it into 10 equal pieces. Cover the pieces with a kitchen towel to keep them from drying out. Let them rest for 15 minutes before rolling them out.

Lightly flour your work surface. Take one dough ball, coat it with flour, and roll it into a thin circle with a rolling pin. Make sure it’s not larger than your pan.

Place the rolled dough on a clean kitchen towel and cover it with another towel to keep it from drying out. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, stacking them loosely under the same towel. They can overlap slightly, but don’t let them stick together.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place one rolled-out dough into the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Flip it over with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds. Don’t overcook, or it will turn crispy instead of soft.

Place the cooked lavash on a clean kitchen towel and cover it loosely to keep it moist. Repeat with the rest of the dough, stacking each piece under the towel to keep them soft and warm.

Serving Suggestions

Because of its soft and flexible nature, Turkish lavash bread is mostly used to make kofta kebab wraps, chicken doner wraps or cigkofte dürüms. Many people however love it in its simplest form; a wrap with delicious salted butter and a mixture of parsley and feta cheese.

You can also serve it along with some dips like aci ezme (Turkish style salsa), sun dried tomato sauce or haydari sauce and with salads like piyaz or shepherd salad.

How to Reheat Turkish Lavas

Reheating lavas bread is incredibly quick and easy to do. The best method to use is to simply reheat it in a non-stick pan. You may want to spray it lightly with some water to help soften it again, especially if it has already dried out.

Another method that works, but not as well as the pan one, is to reheat a few in a hot oven. This method works better if you want to reheat a few pieces, but requires constant rotating or turning to ensure each piece heats thoroughly.

Storage

Turkish Lavash dries out quickly because it is thin. This is why it is important to constantly keep your raw dough and cooked pieces covered with a kitchen towel.

When storing, it is also very important to keep them covered. Stack the lavash breads together and cover them with a kitchen towel. Wrap the whole covered stack in plastic wrap. This will help keep them soft for 2-3 days.

Can I Freeze Lavas Bread?

You can definitely freeze Turkish lavash breads!

Before freezing or wrapping your breads, make sure they have completely cooled! Place the pieces in resealable airtight bags and before sealing, make sure to remove as much air as possible. Place them in the freezer where they won’t get damaged or squashed.

To thaw and reheat them, simply remove them from the freezer and bags, then reheat them on a hot skillet over low heat for a few minutes, until they are soft and flexible again. Now they are ready to be used!

Can I Make It Gluten-Free?

You can easily make this Turkish lavash recipe a gluten-free one. The simplest way to do so is to use store-bought gluten-free flour. Also, you might need to learn the gluten-free flour options that work for your specific needs. Keep in mind that the different flours will affect the taste and texture and won’t closely resemble traditional lavash.

More Turkish Recipes

• Turkish Borek with Cheese
• Biberli Ekmek
• Lahmacun Recipe
• Gozleme
• Pide with Ground Beef
• Pogaca
• Homemade Doner Kebab

You might also like: