Lavash

(Southwest Asian thin flatbread)

Authentic lavash isn't the soft, doughy version used for wraps that is found in most American markets. While freshly baked lavash has a soft, flexible texture, it quickly becomes crisp and crunchy. Fittingly, this thin flatbread is sometimes called "crackerbread."

Lavash — also spelled lahvash, lawaash, lavosh, lawasha — is one of the most common breads in southwest Asia and the Middle East and is baked by slapping dough on the blisteringly hot sides of a tandoor oven.

Makes 4 pieces

Ingredients

Active dry yeast -- 1 (1/4-ounce) package
Warm (110 degrees F) water -- 1/4 cup
All-purpose flour -- 4 cups
Salt -- 1 teaspoon
Water -- 1 1/2 cups

Method

In a small bowl, stir the yeast into the 1/4 cup warm water and set aside for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast mixture and the 1 1/2 cups of water. Mix together with a wooden spoon until it all comes together. Add more water or flour as needed to form a smooth dough, not too sticky but not too dry.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Form the dough into a ball. Wipe a large bowl with a little olive oil, place the dough in the bowl and flip the dough over to cover it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in size, from 1 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Punch the dough down with your fists and knead lightly for 2 or 3 minutes. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and form each piece into a ball. Cover the balls lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled again in size, 45 minutes to an hour.
Press down on a ball of dough to deflate it. Roll the ball out into a large rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Place the rolled out dough on a baking sheet and prick it all over with the tines of a fork.
Brush the top of the dough with water and set it in the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden-brown on top. Remove from the oven and repeat with the remaining dough.

Lavash Variations

Substitute 1 or 2 cups of whole-wheat flour for 1 or 2 cups of the white flour if you like.
Toasted sesame seeds or poppy seeds are common toppings for lavash bread. After brushing the dough with water, sprinkle it with sesame or poppy seeds.
Use leftover lavash in fattoush or for musakhan.