Whole Wheat Lavash

Լ ա վ ա շ   ց ո ր ե ն ի   ա մ բ ո ղ ջ ա հ ա տ ի կ ի ց

Whole-grain wheat flours used to be much more common in the days when Armenian villages shared a mill, grinding the wheat of different families together. Exactly what kind of wheat they milled isn’t clear, but it was likely a mix of winter and spring wheat and, in lean years, other grains not typically used in making bread. Now nearly everyone uses the same white, all-purpose wheat flour.

At Crumbs in Yerevan, Ani Harutyunyan is trying to bring whole-grain flours back into baking. Her hope is that more people in Armenia’s capital city will follow her lead and reclaim Armenia’s whole-grain heritage. While Ani doesn’t make lavash at Crumbs, she shared her whole wheat recipe with us, which we adapted here. Melted butter draws out the nutty flavors of the flour, but oil can be used in its place if you’d prefer to keep the lavash free of dairy.

image

Makes eight 13 by 9
in [33 by 23 cm] sheets

OLD DOUGH

1/2 cup [70 g] whole wheat flour

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp [90 ml] lukewarm water (see page 38)

1/4 tsp instant yeast

DOUGH

11/4 cups [300 ml] lukewarm water (see page 38)

1 Tbsp butter, melted

2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup [140 g] whole wheat flour

21/4 cups [315 g] all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

To make the old dough, using your hands or a rubber spatula, squish together the flour, water, and yeast in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Scrape the paste into a small, lightly oiled container, cover, and let it sit out for 11/2 to 2 hours, or refrigerate for up to 3 days and bring to room temperature for at least 2 hours before using. The ball will not have changed much compared with old dough made with all-purpose flour for the lavash recipe on page 48, but it will smell yeasty and will have puffed up a little.

To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the old dough, water, butter, and salt. Squish the old dough with your hands to break it up in the water; it doesn’t have to be perfectly mixed in.

Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and add the whole wheat flour. Mix on low speed until the dough looks like pancake batter.

Add the all-purpose flour and mix on low until incorporated. Remove the paddle attachment, pulling off any dough stuck to it. If there is flour at the base of the bowl, use your hands to press the dough into the flour. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough sit for 20 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.

(To make by hand, combine the old dough, water, butter, and salt in a large bowl and mix together, squishing the old dough into the water with your hands. Stir in the flours gradually with your fingers until a coarse dough forms, then knead it a few times in the bowl by folding the dough over itself and pressing it down into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.)

Remove the towel and attach the dough hook to the stand mixer. Mix the dough on medium speed until the dough releases from the sides of the bowl without sticking and feels smooth to the touch, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off and reposition the dough to the center of the bowl if it seems to get stuck on one side of the bowl.

(To knead by hand, dust the counter lightly with flour and place the dough on top. Begin kneading by stretching and folding the dough over itself until it is smooth to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes.)

Lightly oil an 8 cup [2 L] glass Pyrex or large glass bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with a lid, a plate, or plastic wrap, and let it rest for 3 hours or until nearly doubled in volume. Or refrigerate overnight and let the dough come to room temperature for at least 2 hours before portioning.

To portion and shape the dough, dust the counter lightly with flour and place the dough on top. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into eight pieces about 3.8 oz [110 g] each.

To shape the dough, cup the palm of your hand over one portion at a time and move your hand in a circle. The friction from the counter will help form the dough into a ball. If there is too much flour on the surface and the dough is sliding around, give the counter a spritz of water and try again. Lightly oil a rimmed tray and place the dough on the tray, ensuring that the portions are not touching. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap lightly coated with oil. Leave out for 1 to 11/2 hours or until puffy, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. If you refrigerate the dough, use plastic wrap to cover it and expect it to take an hour or two to return to room temperature before it is ready to be rolled out.

Dust the counter lightly with flour. Pat a portion of dough into a rectangle with your fingertips. Using a rolling pin and moving back and forth, roll the dough as thinly as possible into an oval about 13 by 9 in [33 by 23 cm]. If the dough resists stretching, let it relax and start working on another portion before returning to it. You can also gently stretch it with your hands to correct the shape. It doesn’t have to look perfect. To griddle the lavash, follow the instructions on page 53.

image