Black Pepper Lavash Middle Eastern Cracker Crisp Bread Recipes

LAVOSH CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 190c (375F) and set aside 2 baking trays (see notes).
• Combine za'atar (1 tsp) and ground cumin (¼ tsp) in a small bowl and set aside.
• In a medium size bowl, combine plain (all purpose) flour (1cup/150g) and salt (¼ tsp), making a well in the centre.
• Add olive oil (2 tbsp) and water (¼ cup) to the well, and mix gradually until you have a shaggy dough (if it looks a little dry add more water 1 tsp at a time). Still in the bowl, use your hands to bring this shaggy dough into a rough ball then turn the dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Knead the dough slightly to make it more uniform, about 10-15 strokes is all it should need.
• Divide this ball of dough into three even-ish portions.
• Working with one portion at a time, roll out the dough as thinly and evenly as you can - about 1-2 mm (1/18") thick. See images in the post above.
• Using a sharp pizza cutter, cut dough into your desired shapes (long strips, squares etc) then place the crackers on a baking tray. You don't want them to overlap, but they also won't spread as they cook.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining olive oil (1 tbsp) evenly over the surface of the crackers, then sprinkle them evenly with combined za'atar and cumin.
• Finally sprinkle with fine salt to taste and bake for 6-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely on baking tray.

LAVASH CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put lavash on a baking sheet; brush each piece with 1 teaspoon oil, and generously season with pepper. Toast in oven until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet before breaking into pieces to serve.

BLACK PEPPER LAVASH - MIDDLE EASTERN 'CRACKER / CRISP BREAD'

Steps:

• Whisk together egg and water until evenly combined; set aside. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange the rack in the middle.
• Combine flour, butter, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until ingredients resemble cornmeal, about 2 minutes. Add egg mixture and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated. Divide into three pieces, form into flat disks, cover each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Place one dough piece on a lightly floured surface and, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a paper-thin sheet (about 1/16 inch thick), approximating the dimensions of your baking sheet.
• Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Press pepper into lavash and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 18 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare remaining dough. Once baked, transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CRACKED BLACK PEPPER BREAD

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the milk, butter, sugar, and pepper. Place over medium-high heat and bring to about 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the milk. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
• Pour the milk and yeast mixture into the bowl of flour and mix until a soft, ragged mixture is formed. Transfer the mixture to a well-floured work surface and knead until a soft elastic dough is formed, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot, until puffed and doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Transfer the dough to the work surface and, using your hands, gently flatten it into a 10-inch-long oval shape. Fold the dough into thirds lengthwise, overlapping the sides in the center. Press down on the overlapping sides to seal and make a seam. Place it seam side-down in a buttered 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, cover with a kitchen towel, and return to the warmest part of the kitchen until the dough has risen about 1 1/2 inches over the top of the pan, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Brush the top of the dough lightly with warm water and, using a sharp knife, make 1/4-inch-deep slit down the center. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the loaf from the pan and place in the center of the rack. Continue baking until the loaf sounds hollow when rapt lightly with your knuckles on the bottom and top, and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 200 degrees F., about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the bread loaf to a cooling rack and let cool for 2 hours before using.

CRACKED BLACK PEPPER BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer.
• Select basic bread setting.
• Do not use time delay feature of your bread machine for this recipe.

LAVASH CRACKERS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, honey, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.
• Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (page 58)and register 77° to 81°F. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call a medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also instead retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading.)
• Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper-thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.). Be careful with spices; a little goes a long way. If you want precut crackers, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).
• When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.
• Enriched, stiff dough; flat; direct method; commercial yeast
• 10 to 15 minutes mixing; 2 hours fermentation, shaping, and panning; 15 to 20 minutes baking
• This dough, almost as stiff as bagel dough, is easier to knead by hand than in a machine.
• You can make a softer variation, used for making roll-up pinwheel sandwiches, by rolling the dough a little thicker than described and slightly underbaking the uncut sheet, so that the cracker is stiff but not crackly crisp. When ready to make the roll-up, mist the cracker with water and it will magically soften within 3 to 5 minutes and be as workable as a flour tortilla.
• This same dough makes a nice pita bread: Simply roll out 6-ounce pieces of the finished dough into 8-inch-diameter circles (slightly less than 1/4 inch thick), and bake them in a 500°F oven on a baking stone or on a sheet pan. Bake just until they inflate and form a pocket. Count to 10, then remove the breads from the oven with a peel or a spatula before they brown and crisp. When they cool (and slowly deflate), they can be cut in half and used for pocket sandwiches.
• Lavash Crackers %
• Bread flour: 100%
• Salt: 1.9%
• Instant yeast: .81%
• Honey: 11.1%
• Oil: 7.4%
• Water (approx.): 51.9%
• Total: 173.1%