Lepinja (Balkan Flatbread)

Name: Lepinja (Balkan Flatbread)
Prep time: 3 h 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Yield: 6 people
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp milk; 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast; 1 c water; 1 tsp sugar; 3 c all-purpose flour; 1 tsp salt

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4.9

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Prep Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 45 mins
Servings
6 people
Course
Bread
Cuisine
Eastern European

Lepinja (Balkan Flatbread)

John House

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Yield: 6 breads

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Ingredients

Servings

2 Tbsp milk warmed to 80-90⁰F
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
1 c water
1 tsp sugar
3 c all-purpose flour unbleached
1 tsp salt

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Instructions

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Place the warm milk in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let it stand until softened and foamy, 5 min.
Add the water and sugar to the milk and yeast. Mix to combine.
Add the flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough comes together. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes by hand (or 2-3 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook), until the dough is smooth but still slightly sticky.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm and draft-free place until doubled, roughly 1 hour.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down. Re-cover it with the damp tea towel and let rise a second time, until doubled, roughly 1 hour.
Punch down the dough a second time and divide it into 6 portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Place the balls onto a lightly floured surface, cover them with the damp tea towel, and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
After resting, flatten the balls into discs that are ½ inch thick. Place the flattened rounds on to a floured baking sheet. Cover them with the damp tea towel and let them rise for 20 minutes.
While the bread is rising this final time, preheat your oven to 450⁰F.
Once risen, uncover the dough, place the baking sheet into oven, and bake for 5-7 minutes, until the breads are just starting to turn golden.
Lower the heat to 300⁰F and bake for another 7-10 minutes, until evenly golden.
Remove the lepinja from oven and wrap them in a (dry) tea towel for 10 minutes to soften the crust.
Slice the lepinja open to serve, if desired. Serve warm.
The bread will keep on the counter for 2-3 days.