Lavash

Armenian Lavash (Clay-Oven Flatbread)

The national bread of Armenia, lavash is traditionally baked against the hot walls of a tonir clay oven for just seconds, producing a soft, pliable sheet. This home version uses a very hot pizza stone or upturned baking sheet to mimic the intense floor-to-wall heat of the tonir.

Prep

90 min

Cook

2 min

Total

92 min

Serves

8 flatbreads

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting; traditionally a mix of white and whole-wheat flour
• •7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast, or 15 g fresh yeast
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine salt
• •350 ml (1½ cups) lukewarm water, around 38 °C / 100 °F
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil, for the dough and brushing
• •30 g (2 tbsp) rice flour, for dusting, helps mimic tonir surface

Steps

1. 1 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the lukewarm water and oil. Stir with a wooden spoon, then turn out and knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic. The dough should be soft but not sticky; add a little flour if it clings.
2. 2 Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot for 60–90 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.
3. 3 Meanwhile, place a heavy baking sheet or pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to its maximum setting (250 °C / 480 °F or higher) for at least 45 minutes. A screaming-hot surface is the closest a home oven gets to a tonir wall.
4. 4 Punch down the dough, divide into 8 equal pieces (about 110 g each) and shape each into a ball. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
5. 5 On a surface dusted with rice flour (not plain flour — rice flour gives the speckled, slightly chewy finish of real lavash), roll one ball at a time into a very thin oval or round, 2–3 mm thick, stretching it as wide as possible. Traditional lavash is rolled so thin it is almost translucent.
6. 6 Lay the rolled dough across your upturned hands and gently stretch the edges outward, letting gravity do the work. It is acceptable, and traditional, if a couple of small tears appear.
7. 7 Slap the stretched dough onto the preheated stone or upturned baking sheet. Bake for 60–90 seconds — the bread should puff up with one or two large bubbles and turn pale with a few brown spots. Doneness cue: the edges begin to lift and the surface looks dry and blistered, not doughy.
8. 8 Lift off immediately with tongs. Traditionally the lavash is pressed flat against the cool inner walls of the tonir to dry into a pliable sheet; at home, drape each hot bread over a clean wooden rolling pin or broom handle to cool. This keeps it flexible rather than crisping into cracker-like bread.
9. 9 Repeat with the remaining dough, dusting the surface and stone lightly with rice flour as needed. Stack the cooled lavash, covered with a tea towel, until ready to serve or dry fully for storage.
10. 10 To store long-term, lay the lavash on clean cloths in a single layer in a dry, airy spot for 24–48 hours until leathery and fully dried, then keep in a paper bag at room temperature for up to a month.