MAKES 1 LARGE LAVASH (8 TO 10 SERVINGS)
This bread might not rise, but it will never fall flat. Lavash is a traditional Armenian flatbread made simply with a handful of ingredients. It can be rolled very thin, like a cracker, or rolled thicker for something more like naan.
Traditionally, lavash is cooked in a clay oven. But the Baking Steel is the perfect stand-in, providing a stovetop surface that can evenly and rapidly cook lavash to your liking. It also helps you get that tantalizing char on the edges of the bread that makes it such an ideal contrast to soft toppings, from hummus to cheese spread.
8 grams (2 teaspoons) toasted sesame seeds
8 grams (2 teaspoons) untoasted black sesame seeds
24 grams (2 tablespoons) toasted and ground coriander seeds
120 grams (1 cup) pastry flour
1 gram (¼ teaspoon) active dry yeast
8 grams (2 teaspoons) sugar
10 grams (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
⅓ cup water, warm (about 105°F)
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for cooking
1. In a small bowl, mix together the sesame seeds and coriander. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
3. Add the warm water and olive oil; mix with a wooden spoon until combined, then knead the dough by hand until it has a smooth consistency, adding a little more water if needed. Form the dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for 1 hour.
4. Gently punch down the dough, re-cover, and let rise again for 3 more hours.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out paper thin.
6. Position your Baking Steel or Baking Steel Griddle on the stovetop. Preheat on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, looking for a surface temperature of about 325 to 350°F.
7. From here, you can choose to make a single massive lavash or cut it into individual tortilla-chip-size portions; your choice. Brush the top or tops of the dough with oil.
8. Toast the dough, oiled-side down, on top of the Baking Steel or Baking Steel Griddle for 1 minute or until golden brown. While the first side is down, brush the top side with oil and sprinkle the spice mix on it.
9. Flip and toast on the second side, noting that it will take less time to cook than the first side. Once done, transfer to a wire rack to cool.
10. Continue with any remaining portions of dough. Once crisp, you can store the lavash, loosely wrapped, at room temperature for up to 5 days.
EXTRA CREDIT Be a softie! If desired, you can make soft lavash. Simply don’t roll it as thin (make it about a quarter of an inch thick); it will cook to a texture more like naan.