Armenian Serve as soft wrap or crispy cracker-like

2 cups all-purpose 1 teaspoon 1-1/4 teaspoon powder 1/2 Tablespoon granulated sugar 1/4 cup unsalted butter or ghee, melted 1/2 to 2/3 cup warm water or as needed 1 egg mixed with a little water for egg wash Toppings: As desired sesame , poppyseeds, coarse salt or additional ingredients

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Two sheets; four pieces of parchment paper. If parchment paper isn’t available, bake on silicone mats.

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Combine Dry Ingredients: In large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.

Form the : Add melted butter and slowly add water until dough forms into soft rolling dough. The amount of water needed depends on the flour used.

Knead the Dough: Place on lightly floured surface; if dough is too sticky, lightly knead dough until smooth while adding small amounts of flour. Divide dough into 2 balls.

Roll & Shape Dough: Set aside one ball. Place one flattened ball on a sheet of parchment paper; cover with a second sheet, roll into a thin sheet, about 12 inches. Remove the top parchment sheet, fold dough into thirds; then fold into thirds again, creating a little bundle. Replace the parchment paper, roll this bundle into a 12 inch or large square a second time. This creates flaky layers. The thinner it’s rolled; the more cracker-like the bread will be. A thick dough will be softer.

Adding Toppings: Remove the top parchment sheet; place parchment sheet with the rolled dough on a cookie sheet. Brush the surface of dough with egg wash; sprinkle as desired with sesame seeds, poppyseeds, coarse salt or desired seasoning. Roll remaining dough using the same procedure.

Bake Dough: Bake in 425-degree F oven on lower oven rack for 15 minutes or until bottom starts to brown. Rotate baking sheet and move to the upper oven rack for another 5 minutes, until the top becomes a golden brown color.

To Serve: Remove from oven. Cool completely on cooling rack. Cut or crack into serving pieces. The outer parts will be crisp, and the inner portions will be more bread-like. 2 cracker - Serves: about 4

For Crisper Cracker-like : After baking, if you want to make some of them crisper, place softer pieces on cookie sheet; spray lightly with olive oil; broil until brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Store any remaining crisp cracker bread pieces in air-tight containers.

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Cook’s Note: Double the recipe for more servings. Serve with your favorite fruits, snacks, or soups. We found that rolling the dough between parchment paper, made it easier to roll into a thin sheet of dough.

Recipe Inspired by Rima Timbaryan, Doug Kalajian’s mother. History of Recipe Preserving Armenian culture, memory, and identity in the kitchen See: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/tastes-memory-lavash-and- armenian-identity-180958673/ The recipe originally appeared on the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

About the Recipe: When soft, Lavash is wrapped around barbecued meats and spicy peppers for lunch, salty cheese for snacks, or topped with cheese curds and jam for breakfast. This recipe baked into crisp cracker bread that we cracked into smaller pieces and enjoyed with our evening dinner.

History of Lavash See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavash Lavash is made with flour, water, and salt. The thickness of the bread varies depending on how thin it was rolled out. Toasted sesame seeds and/or poppyseeds are sometimes sprinkled on before baking. Traditionally the dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of a clay oven. While quite flexible when fresh, lavash dries out quickly and becomes brittle and hard. The soft form is easier to use when making wrap sandwiches; however, the dry form can be used for long-term storage almost one year.

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