Lepinja (Balkan Flatbread)

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:58:21 GMT

Step 1

Place the warm milk in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let it stand until softened and foamy, 5 min.

Step 2

Add the water and sugar to the milk and yeast. Mix to combine.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

While the bread is rising this final time, preheat your oven to 450⁰F.

Step 9

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.

Step 10

Lower the heat to 300⁰F and bake for another 7-10 minutes, until evenly golden.

Step 11

Remove the lepinja from oven and wrap them in a (dry) tea towel for 10 minutes to soften the crust.

Step 12

Slice the lepinja open to serve, if desired. Serve warm.

Step 13

The bread will keep on the counter for 2-3 days.

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