Մ ա տ ն ա ք ա շ
bread “drawn by fingers”
“If people can fly to space, making matnakash is not so difficult.” That was the answer we got when we asked Ghegham Grigoryan, a baker in Gyumri, if it was hard to replicate the shape of this Armenian bread. Did we mention that the Gyumretsi (people of Gyumri) are famous for their wisecracking ways?
In a small bakery on Gorki Street marked with a sign out front that said Dak Hats (“hot bread”), we watched Ghegham and co-worker Hasmik Bughdaryan make matnakash. Slightly thicker and lighter than focaccia, with lines running across the surface, matnakash translates to “drawn by fingers,” and it’s often served alongside lavash as a thicker, breadier option.
To create the signature shape, use your hands to press a grid into the center of the dough and then stretch the bread into an oval before loading it in the oven. In between the shaping steps, the bakers let the dough rest in a thick layer of wheat bran for several minutes, which keeps the base from sticking to the counter. “Take me to America and I’ll teach you everything you need to know about matnakash,” Ghegham said as we left the shop.
Makes 2
1 cup [140 g] all-purpose flour
1/2 cup [120 ml] lukewarm water (see page 38)
1/4 tsp instant yeast
DOUGH
1 cup [240 ml] lukewarm water (see page 38)
1 tsp instant yeast
3 cups plus 2 Tbsp [440 g] all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tbsp kosher salt
Wheat bran or whole wheat flour, for dusting
1/2 cup [70 g] all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 cup [180 ml] water
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 soft ball. Scrape the paste into a small, lightly oiled container, cover, and let it sit out for about 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature for at least 2 hours before using. When ready, the ball will have doubled in volume.
To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the old dough and water. Squish the old dough with your hands to break it up in the water.
Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and add the yeast and a third of the flour. Mix on low speed until the dough looks like pancake batter. Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Remove the paddle attachment, pulling off any dough stuck to it. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let it sit for 20 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.
(To make by hand, combine the old dough and water in a large bowl and mix together, squishing the old dough into the water with your hands. Stir in the yeast and flour with your fingers until a crumbly dough forms and 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 mixer. Sprinkle the salt on top. Mix the dough on medium speed until it releases from the sides of the bowl without sticking, about 4 minutes. (It may seem sticky at first, but the salt will help the dough firm up.) It’s okay if it sticks to the base of the bowl as long as it lifts cleanly off the sides.
(To knead by hand, dust the counter lightly with flour and place the dough on top. Sprinkle the top of the dough with the salt and knead, 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, plate, or plastic wrap and let it rest for 3 hours, or until doubled in volume.
To portion the matnakash, dust the counter lightly with flour and place the dough on top. Gently pat it into an oval. With a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into two even pieces, about 1 lb [455 g] each. Using the sides of your palm, tuck the edges of the dough under to shape each portion into a round.
Dust a half-sheet pan with flour and place each round on top. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 1 hour, or until the dough is slightly puffy and springs back lightly when pressed.
To shape and bake, place a baking stone or baking steel in the bottom rack of the oven and remove the middle rack. Preheat the oven to 450°F [230°C]. Alternatively, use an overturned half-sheet pan in place of a baking stone (see page 41).
Dust the counter with flour and place the dough portions on top. Coat the same sheet pan that held the proofing dough with the wheat bran. In a bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup [70 g] all-purpose flour and the water.
Dip your hands into the water-flour mixture to coat thoroughly. For each portion of dough, you will make a ring on top with a tic-tac-toe pattern in the center of the ring. Start by cupping your hands and hold them perpendicular above the edges of the dough, as if you were gauging the size. Move your hands about 1 in [2.5 cm] in from the edges and press down firmly with the sides of your palms. This creates a ring inside the dough. Next, make the tic-tac-toe pattern. Wet your hands again and, using the sides of one palm, make three lines within the circle. Wet your hand again and make three more lines in a grid pattern. Lift the dough onto the wheat bran–covered sheet pan and repeat with the second portion. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel for 25 to 30 minutes to allow the dough to rest.
Use some of the wheat bran to dust a pizza peel or an overturned sheet pan. Pick up one of the portions of dough with both hands, supporting the bottom, and gently stretch the dough into an oval so it’s about 13 in [33 cm] long. Place the dough on top of the prepared pizza peel. If this step sounds tricky, put the dough on the dusted pizza peel and stretch it into an oval without picking it up. Open the oven and, with a quick jerk, transfer the dough onto the pizza stone.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bread is a deep golden brown. Repeat with the remaining portion. Let cool completely. Dust off excess wheat bran from the bottom if necessary.
Slice the matnakhash to serve at the table. Alternatively, the bread keeps in a zip-top plastic bag on the counter for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
