Delicious Oven-Baked Flat Bread (AKA Central Asian or Uzbek lepeshki) - made from flour, yeast, salt and water, topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Most of us Ukrainians were raised eating bread with just about every meal. Growing up bread was always a must in our family with just about every meal. When my mother-in-law first baked these lepyoshki, I was hooked. They weren’t too hard or soft and tasted great. I was pleasantly surprised how quick they were to prepare. These are also great because they stay fresh much longer than most breads.. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

Lepyoshki-

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup water

4 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp yeast

8 cups flour

Glaze-

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp milk

Sesame Seeds

Makes: 4 lepyoshki (or 6 small)

Directions:

In a large bowl place the sour cream, sugar, salt and yeast.

In a saucepan on the stove top warm the milk, water and butter. Mixture should be very warm, NOT hot. If you keep it on the stove top too long, let it cool a bit.

Remove milk mixture from heat and pour into bowl. Mix everything.

As you are mixing with your hand or the mixer, slowly keep adding the flour (sifting as you add).

Once flour is mixed in, form dough into a ball. Lightly flatten and cover with a lid and then a few kitchen towels to keep dough warm. (I place foil over a bowl then the towels so the towels don’t fall into the bowl.) Let rise about 1 1/2 hours.

GENTLY divide dough into four. Form dough into ball like shapes.

Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

On a lightly floured surface, GENTLY start pressing down into the center of the dough and pull edges out. Keep doing this until the dough is stretched to about 7”-8” in diameter. The center of the dough should be flat and edges will be taller. If you leave the dough at about 7” in diameter or a little less, the lepyoshki will be taller. If you prefer the lepyoshki flatter make them longer in diameter. You should fit 2 lepyoshki onto a large baking sheet. Repeat process to all four lepyoshki. If making the lepyoshki larger use the corners of the pans so two will fit vertically.

(I sometimes make 6 small ones and kids really enjoy that, if making six small ones three should fit on a baking sheet. Using two large baking sheets, bake all lepyoshki at ones).

Beat egg yolk and milk for the glaze.

With a brush, apply the glaze to the tops and sides of the lepyoshki.  (In this image I was making 6 small ones.)

Sprinkle sesame seeds in the middle of the lepyoshki. (Sprinkle a small amount of sesame seed in the flattened inside of each lepyoshka). Let them rest and rise until they about doubt in size 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 365°F for about 35-40 minutes. The lepyoshki should be a nice golden color and hard to the touch. Once they have cooled they will soften.

Uzbek Lepyoshki (Лепешки)

Makes: 4 lepyoshki (or 6 small ones)

Author: Valentina's Corner

Ingredients

• Lepyoshki-
• 2½ cups milk
• ½ cup water
• 4 Tbsp butter
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1½ Tbsp salt
• 1½ Tbsp yeast
• 8 cups flour
• Glaze-
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp milk
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a large bowl place the sour cream, sugar, salt and yeast.
2. In a saucepan on the stovetop warm the milk, water and butter. Mixture should be very warm, NOT hot. If you keep it on the stovetop too long, let it cool a bit.
3. Remove milk mixture from heat and pour it into bowl. Mix everything.
4. As you are mixing with your hand or the mixer, slowly keep adding the flour (sifting as you add).
5. Once flour is mixed in, form dough into a ball. Lightly flatten and cover with a lid and then a few kitchen towels to keep dough warm. (I place foil over a bowl then the towels so the towels don’t fall into the bowl.) Let rise about 1½ hours.
6. GENTLY divide dough into four. Form dough into ball like shapes.
7. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
8. On a lightly floured surface, GENTLY start pressing down into the center of the dough and pull edges out. Keep doing this until the dough is stretched to about 7”-8” in diameter. The center of the dough should be flat and edges will be taller. If you leave the dough at about 7” in diameter or a little less, the lepyoshki will be taller. If you prefer the lepyoshki flatter make them longer in diameter. You should fit 2 lepyoshki onto a large baking sheet. Repeat process to all four lepyoshki. If making the lepyoshki larger use the corners of the pans so two will fit vertically.
9. (I sometimes make 6 small ones and kids really enjoy that, if making six small ones three should fit on a baking sheet. Using two large baking sheets, bake all lepyoshki at ones).
10. Beat egg yolk and milk for the glaze.
11. With a brush, apply the glaze to the tops and sides of the lepyoshki.
12. Sprinkle sesame seeds in the middle of the lepyoshki. (Sprinkle a small amount of sesame seed in the flattened inside of each lepyoshka).
13. Let them rest and rise until they about doubt in size 30-45 minutes.
14. Bake at 365°F for about 35-40 minutes. The lepyoshki should be a nice golden color and hard to the touch. Once they have cooled they will soften.