Lavash, a Middle Eastern cracker-bread

Lavash, a Middle Eastern cracker-bread, is a nice accompaniment to dips but also great with salads. A Salina chef used to offer it on his buffets and when I was the catering manager at the Kirby House Restaurant, I wanted to offer it on our menu. Finding a recipe was not difficult. However, rolling the dough (with a rolling pin) thin enough to create a thin, crispy cracker was another matter. So, I adapted the traditional recipe for use with a pasta machine, creating a long, thin, crisp cracker. The recipe below appears in The Kirby House Cookbook  (2001). 

For today's version I used cumin seeds and the cracker-bread made a great dipper for our Tomato Pesto Hummus. 

Lavash      Yield:  About 40 crackers (recipe can be cut in half)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup water, lukewarm (110°) water

1 package (1/4 -ounce) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

Up to 2 cups all-purpose flour

Assorted seeds and seasoning — celery seed, caraway seed, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, dill weed, parsley flakes, onion powder, etc. (I used cumin seeds for today's batch.)

1. In a mixing bowl, blend whole wheat flour, water, yeast and salt until moistened and well blended.

   

   Ready to mix.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat 3 minutes on medium speed. 
3. Work in enough all-purpose flour and develop dough by hand kneading, or with dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes).
4. Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp towel. 
5. Let rise 1 hour at 80° or until double in bulk (to test--press fingers gently into dough; if indentations remain, dough has risen enough.)
6. Divide dough into 40 pieces, shape into smooth balls; cover with damp towel and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
   
    
7. Meanwhile prepare work surface by sprinkling a little flour in one area and selections of various seeds and seasoning in other areas. 
8. When dough rising time is up, remove about 10 balls of dough at a time;
   
   press dough balls into various seasoning for flavor and into flour if sticky areas are evident on the dough. 
9. Set up pasta machine and turn the dial to level 1— run each dough ball through the machine, returning flattened ball to floured surface if sticky.
   
10. Next turn dial to 2 and repeat; continue until Lavash is paper thin — this usually occurs at level 6 or 7. Note: If Lavash begins to tear, you have flattened the dough too much.
    
    
    
    
11. Place an ungreased baking sheet in the oven and preheat oven and baking sheet to 500°. 
12. Remove baking sheet and arrange Lavash on the hot surface. 
13. Bake, watching carefully, for about 5 to 6 minutes (or less — start checking after 3 minutes). Crackers should be lightly browned on top of the small bubbles that will appear on the surface.  (If bread puffs excessively, it needs to be rolled thinner.) 
14. Remove bread with spatula to a cooling rack.
    

Recipe without photos . . .

Lavash      Yield:  About 40 crackers (recipe can be cut in half)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup water, lukewarm (110°) water

1 package (1/4 -ounce) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

Up to 2 cups all-purpose flour

Assorted seeds and seasoning — celery seed, caraway seed, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, dill weed, parsley flakes, onion powder, etc. (I used cumin seeds for today's batch.)

1. In a mixing bowl, blend whole wheat flour, water, yeast and salt until moistened and well blended.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat 3 minutes on medium speed. 
3. Work in enough all-purpose flour and develop dough by hand kneading, or with dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes).
4. Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp towel. 
5. Let rise 1 hour at 80° or until double in bulk (to test--press fingers gently into dough; if indentations remain, dough has risen enough.)
6. Divide dough into 40 pieces, shape into smooth balls; cover with damp towel and let rise again for another 30 minutes. 
7. Meanwhile prepare work surface by sprinkling a little flour in one area and selections of various seeds and seasoning in other areas. 
8. When dough rising time is up, remove about 10 balls of dough at a time; press dough balls into various seasoning for flavor and into flour if sticky areas are evident on the dough. 
9. Set up pasta machine and turn the dial to level 1— run each dough ball through the machine, returning flattened ball to floured surface if sticky.
10. Next turn dial to 2 and repeat; continue until Lavash is paper thin — this usually occurs at level 6 or 7. Note: If Lavash begins to tear, you have flattened the dough too much.
11. Place an ungreased baking sheet in the oven and preheat oven and baking sheet to 500°. 
12. Remove baking sheet and arrange Lavash on the hot surface. 
13. Bake, watching carefully, for about 5 to 6 minutes (or less — start checking after 3 minutes). Crackers should be lightly browned on top of the small bubbles that will appear on the surface.  (If bread puffs excessively, it needs to be rolled thinner.) 
14. Remove bread with spatula to a cooling rack.