Matnakash is an Armenian white yeast bread, which is a thick oval or round cake with a solid golden crust and airy crumb. On top there are several longitudinal grooves that are pulled with fingers. It was from this that he got his name: “matnakash” in translation from Armenian means “outstretched with fingers”. It is believed that this national Armenian bread has no analogues and is one of a kind. Sometimes called matnakash lavash, but this is a completely different product. Armenian pita bread is a very thin cake made from unleavened dough.
About Matnakasha
The traditional matnakash was baked in ovens of toners that were equipped in the floor of the dwelling. The walls of the toners were laid out with stone. Pellets stuck to the walls of the oven and removed when they were ready.
For the preparation of Armenian tortillas, wheat flour is used, as a rule. The dough is made using acidic sourdough in different ways - using two- or three-stage technology. Cakes with grooves are formed from it, covered, allowed to rise, then sent to the oven. The bread should be soft, elastic, airy, with large holes in the crumb.
Matnakash may vary in shape, number and location of grooves. It is round, oval and elongated. The grooves can be located both along and across.
In modern conditions, you can bake matnakash in the oven. The principle of preparation is one, although the methods of baking may vary slightly. Next are a few matnakasha recipes.
With flour
What do you need:
- 0.5 kg of wheat flour (for dough - 230 g, for the main batch - 270 g).
- A teaspoon of dried yeast.
- Half a teaspoon of sugar.
- One and a half teaspoons of salt.
- 250 ml of water.
For flour brewing, 150 ml of water and 30 g of flour will be required.
How to bake Armenian matnakash bread at home:
- First you need to make a dough for the matnakasha. To do this, mix dry yeast in 250 ml of warm water, then pour out 230 g of flour and mix. Leave the dough for three hours.
- After 3-3.5 hours, when a lot of bubbles appear in the dough, add salt, sugar and the rest of the flour to it and knead the dough. Leave it to approach in a warm place for another three hours.
- Prepare the infusion of flour. To do this, in a suitable dish, you need to combine 150 ml of water and 30 g of flour, put on fire and, while stirring, heat until thickened, then cool.
- Divide the finished dough in half, roll each half into a ball and leave it under a towel for 15 minutes.
- Moisten your fingers in a flour infuser and stretch each ball into a cake, draw a groove along the circumference, then parallel grooves inside the cake. Leave blanks for half an hour.
- Preheat oven to maximum temperature. Before you put the bread in the oven, go through the grooves moistened with flour welding with your fingers.
- Bake matnakash for 20-25 minutes at the highest temperature with steam. To organize the steam, you need to put a container of water at the bottom of the oven.
Home-made Armenian matnakash bread is no worse than purchased.
With sesame seeds
What do you need:
- 400 g of flour.
- Glass of water.
- A teaspoon of sugar.
- Half a teaspoon of salt.
- A third of a teaspoon of fresh yeast.
- Two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- Egg yolk for lubrication.
- Sesame.
How to cook:
- Crumble fresh yeast, put in a bowl, add water at room temperature, add sugar and flour. Then pour in vegetable oil and salt.
- Knead the dough so that it does not stick to your hands; they need to be greased with vegetable oil. Put the dough in a bowl, tighten with cling film, cover with a towel and leave to rise for an hour and a half.
- After this time, knead the dough and let it come up again. Then make a second wrap, sprinkle it with flour, put on a towel and leave for 15 minutes. After that, the dough will be ready to go.
- Cover the pan with parchment, grease it, put the dough on it and form an oval or round cake out of it with your hands. Use your fingers to push the furrow along the circumference to form a ring. Insert several parallel grooves inside the ring. Stretch the cake to the sides so that it becomes flatter. Cover it with cling film and let stand a little.
- Before putting in the oven, grease the matnakash with yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Heat the oven to 220-250 degrees, send bread into it and bake for about 20 minutes until a brown crust appears.
Ready cake should be soft inside, but with a crispy hard crust.
With sour cream
At home, Armenian matnakash bread can be prepared in different ways, for example, add a little sour cream to the dough.
What do you need:
- 550 g of flour.
- 10 g of yeast.
- Two tablespoons of sour cream.
- Two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- 400 ml of water.
- 12 g of salt.
- 20 g of sugar.
How to cook:
- Lightly warm half a glass of water, add sour cream and sugar, then gradually pour in the yeast and mix everything.
- Put the dough in a warm place for about 20 minutes. When it begins to fall, it means that it is ready for further work.
- Sift flour and salt into a large bowl, deepen it, pour the dough and the remaining water (warmed) into it.
- Raking flour from the edges, knead the dough. If the dough is too steep, you need to add more water.
- Put the dough on the table and knead it for about 20 minutes, after having greased your hands with vegetable oil. When the dough becomes elastic and sticks to your hands, form a ball out of it, grease it, put in a bowl, cover and place in a warm place to rise. It will take at least an hour. The dough should increase in volume three times.
- Put the finished dough on the table, knead again with your hands and cut into two halves.
- Put one half on a baking sheet covered with parchment, stretch it with your hands to make an oval cake about a half centimeter thick.
- With your fingers, make a groove around the perimeter and several grooves in the middle. Cover with a damp towel, leave for 15 minutes to rise. After that, grease the surface of the cake with a mixture of vegetable oil and water and draw grooves again.
- Place the matnakash in a very hot oven (to the maximum) and bake for 10 to 20 minutes (depending on how the oven is heated). You need to focus on the appearance of a golden crust.
- Sprinkle the finished bread with water, cover with a towel and proceed to bake the second tortilla.
Stuffed matnakash
For the preparation of stuffed matnakasha, the following ingredients will be required:
- Boiled pork.
- Fresh tomato.
- Hard cheese.
- Champignons are fresh.
- Bell pepper.
- A little sour cream.
- Salt.
- Garlic.
- Ground pepper.
- Fresh parsley.
- Tomato spicy sauce.
The preparation of the dish is very simple:
- Mushrooms should be cut into medium slices and sautéed until golden brown in vegetable oil.
- Pellet cut in half along. Grease the lower part with sour cream, then tomato sauce. On top of the sauce lay mushrooms, chopped boiled pork, bell peppers, tomatoes. Salt, pepper, sprinkle with grated cheese. Coat the top of the tortillas.
- Put the matnakash in the oven, heated to 200 degrees, and bake for 15 minutes.
- From olive oil, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, salt and pepper, prepare a mixture. Remove the matnakash from the oven, immediately put the prepared mixture on it and serve.
Conclusion
Now you know how to cook Armenian matnakash bread at home. Its features are a crispy golden crust, a porous crumb and characteristic grooves.