Homemade Armenian Matnakash Bread

Lush and amazingly tasty flatbread made from yeast dough! Matnakash is a traditional Armenian bread that can be easily prepared at home in the oven. The ingredients you will need are very simple; the bread is formed on a baking sheet by hand. Matnakash is especially good piping hot, hot, fresh from the oven!
cook time: 1h 30 min
Freya Ashford
Homemade Armenian Matnakash Bread

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

219
Calories
1g
Fat
40g
Carbs
7g
Protein

Ingredients (1 portion)

Basic:

Salt 0.5 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Wheat flour 250 g
Water 170 ml
Dry yeast (fast-acting) 1 tsp

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make matnakash Armenian bread in the oven at home? Prepare your food. The amount of flour and water is given as an approximate amount, it may take more or less than the indicated figures, you will look at the dough. The recipe is designed for instant yeast, which is immediately mixed with flour, without activation. Pre-dilute regular yeast in a small amount of warm water. Read about all the intricacies of working with yeast in the article at the link at the end of the recipe.

Step 2

Step 2
Take a deep bowl and sift flour into it. By doing this, you will not only remove possible debris, but also saturate the flour with oxygen, which will make the baked goods more fluffy and airy. Add yeast, sugar and salt to the flour (if you don’t have quick yeast, then just sugar and salt). Mix dry ingredients until smooth.

Step 3

Step 3
Heat the water until warm. It should become just warm, pleasant to the touch, not hot — high temperature can destroy living organisms in the yeast. Start pouring water into the flour, while stirring everything with a fork (now pour in the dough if you are cooking with it). Knead the dough first with a fork, then with your hand.

Step 4

Step 4
Check the consistency of the dough and add flour if necessary if it is too sticky. Or add more water if the dough is too stiff. Knead for a long time until you obtain a homogeneous dough that practically does not stick to your hands. When this happens, scoop it up into a ball and place it in a bowl.

Step 5

Step 5
Cover it with a towel and place it in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes. I usually put it in the oven, not working. During this time, the dough will double in volume. Punch it down, releasing the air.

Step 6

Step 6
Cover a baking sheet with parchment. You can choose the right parchment paper by reading a separate article about the features of parchment, the link is at the end of the recipe. Place a lump of dough on the paper and use your hands to stretch it into an oval about 1cm thick. Matnakash, by the way, is translated from Armenian as “stretched with fingers.”

Step 7

Step 7
Using your fingers, make a pattern characteristic of this bread — an oval around the entire perimeter, at a distance of 2-3 cm from the edge and longitudinal grooves in the center. Knead the dough almost to the baking sheet, but without tearing it.

Step 8

Step 8
Cover the bread with a towel and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Turn on the oven to preheat to 250°C. The dough will rise a little during this time. Run your fingers over the grooves again.

Step 9

Step 9
Bake the matnakash in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown. The exact time will depend on your oven — I kept mine a little longer. You can learn about the operating features of ovens by reading a separate article, link at the end of the recipe. Remove the finished homemade matnakash from the baking sheet, cool slightly and serve.

Step 10

Step 10
Bon appetit!

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