Matnakash (Armenian bread)

Matnakash is an unusually tasty and aromatic cake made from yeast dough. This is a traditional Armenian bread that is especially good when freshly baked. Today I offer a proven recipe for this homemade pastry with an original molding - you can do it too, I promise!

Matnakash got its name from the Armenian words "mat" (finger) and "cough" (pull) - it turns out "stretched out with fingers" (correct if not exactly). An authentic option is to bake cakes in toners and hearth ovens, but in a city apartment, an oven is perfect.

Ingredients

• Yeast dough:
• Wheat flour of the highest grade (250 grams)
• Water (170 milliliters)
• SugarSugar (1 teaspoon)
• Fast acting yeast Fast acting yeast (1 teaspoon)
• Cooking Salt Cooking Salt (0.5 teaspoon)
• Flour brewing:
• Water (3 tablespoons)
• Wheat flour (1 teaspoon)

Directions

1. To prepare this delicious and aromatic homemade bread, we need the following ingredients: premium wheat flour, water, sugar, table salt and fast-acting yeast.
2. Sift 250 grams of wheat flour into a suitable dish (I have a bowl from a planetary mixer that will help knead the dough). Add one teaspoon of sugar and fast-acting yeast, as well as half a teaspoon of salt.
3. Mix very thoroughly so that all dry ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. We make a hole in the center and pour 170 milliliters of lukewarm water into it.
4. We knead the dough with our hands (it is most convenient to do this on a work surface, not in a bowl) for 10 minutes or using a kneader (hook attachment) for about 6-7 minutes. The dough should turn out to be quite soft, sticky, while keeping its shape well
5. We round the dough into a ball (I did not remove the attachment, so then it will help to settle the dough) and send the dough to heat for 40 minutes. Where is the best place for dough to roam and what does a warm place mean? There are several options. First of all, in the oven with the light on (it turns out about 28-30 degrees - the ideal temperature for fermenting yeast dough). Then we tighten the bowl with the dough with cling film or cover with a towel made of natural fabric (linen is best suited) so that the surface does not wind up and does not become covered with a crust. You can also let the dough ferment in the microwave, in which we first bring a glass of water to a boil. The dough will rise with the door closed, and the glass will stand in the same place. Then the bowl does not need to be closed with anything, since the water will evaporate, thereby maintaining the necessary humidity. Just make sure that no one accidentally turns on the microwave, otherwise the dough will disappear and there will be no more bread.
6. In about 40 minutes, yeast dough for matnakash is well suited, it will noticeably round up and increase in volume two times exactly.
7. We do a light kneading to release excess air, re-round the dough and return to heat for another 40 minutes.
8. At this time, we will make the tea leaves, with the help of which we will shape the cake. To do this, you just need to combine 3 tablespoons of cold water with 1 teaspoon of wheat flour. Mix everything thoroughly so that there are no lumps left.
9. In any convenient way, we warm the mixture to get a jelly-like brew. I do it in the microwave - just let the tea leaves boil and you're done. You can boil flour in water on the stove. Let the flour brew cool to a warm state.
10. After about 40 minutes, the yeast dough will rise again (three times), become even more tender and fluffy. Now you can work with him. Do not forget to turn on the oven to warm up at 250 degrees in advance.
11. Round the dough gently and transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. I love to use a Teflon mat.
12. Lubricate our hands with warm flour tea and stretch the dough, shaping the future Armenian matnakash bread. First, knead it in the shape of an oval (the thickness of the cake should be about 1 centimeter), after which we pass the edge of the palm along the entire circumference, going inward by 2-3 centimeters. Thus, an oval is obtained and another oval inside. Without forgetting to wet your hands in the tea leaves, we make two parallel strips. The depth of such recesses is literally a couple of millimeters to the baking sheet.
13. We bake Armenian bread Matnakash at 250 degrees for about 15 minutes on the middle oven level (I have gas, bottom heating, no convection). For a golden brown crust, I additionally turn on the top heating (grill) for 3 minutes.
14. We serve the cake in the heat of the heat - for four of one is just enough. Cook for your health and bon appetit, friends!