Ever tried a new recipe and liked it so much you made it again right away?
Such was the case for my Mom’s family’s version of lavosh, an Armenian cracker bread. While there are other recipes by the same name that call for yeast and thus yield a result more-bread-than-cracker, this is a true cracker, thin, crunchy, a tiny bit sweet. And did I mention addictive? That too.
Serve lavosh with cheese and fruit or alongside a hearty bowl of soup.
When baking, the edges may brown sooner since they’re typically thinner. This is okay – the thin parts are actually the most tasty. I’ve experimented with caraway seeds (also traditional, apparently, based on similar recipes) and pretzel salt but prefer the sesame and poppy seed combination. Oh – and you might think about making a double batch!
LAVOSH
(ARMENIAN CRACKER BREAD)
Baking: 1 hour (requires occasional attention)
Makes 20 dozen small crackers
- 2-3/4 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Combine dry ingredients. Blend in butter with a wooden spoon until crumbly. Add buttermilk and stir until well combined.
Divide dough into four parts. Sprinkle some flour on a clean, flat surface, as for bread. With a rolling pin, roll one section to form a rectangle roughly 6 x 8 inches. Transfer to a lightly floured (very important step) baking sheet. Directly on the sheet, roll dough to the edges as thin and evenly as possible, first with the rolling pin, then with your hands. Sprinkle dough liberally with seeds, pressing them in with your palms.
Bake until golden at 375F, about 13 – 15 minutes. Cool and break into cracker-size pieces, about 60 pieces per sheet. Store in airtight container.
Prepare for a shock when checking the price of small jars of poppy seeds in the spice section at a grocery store. Instead, if you have access to an international grocery, large bags can be purchased for a couple of dollars. The sesame seed and poppy seed mix is great. But what's pictured is two varieties of sesame seeds, the typical blond-colored ones and black sesame seeds. Excellent! If your baking sheet is rimmed, it's fussy to finagle the rolling pin inside the rim. Consider a flat baking sheet or rolling out the lavosh with a smooth glass jar. This favorite family recipe comes from my dear Auntie Gloria. It was published in print in 2003 and published online for the first time in 2008.Serving Suggestions
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