Bread is a staple of any meal in my home country, Azerbaijan. Sweet milk- bread at breakfast or borodinskiy rye to go with shorba-soup at lunch time, variety of yeasted breads including traditional tendir and simple lavas during dinner, bread accompanies our every meal.
I'm sharing a recipe for one the most loved bread in Azerbaijan, Tendir. Typically tendir is baked in a wood fire oven called tendir (that's where the name of the bread has originated), however I have adjusted the recipe for it to be baked in a conventional oven.
Ingredients
1 ( 7g ) sachet active dry yeast 1 measuring cup (250g) lukewarm water 1/2 measuring cup (125g) plain yogurt 2 tbsp olive oil + extra for oiling ( see method ) 3 measuring cups (450g) plain all-purpose or bakers flour
1 egg lightly whisked – for brushing 1/2 tsp raw sesame seeds 1/2 tsp raw nigella seeds
Method
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and set aside till it becomes frothy. Sieve 3 cups of flour into a large bowl. Make a well, add olive oil, plain yoghurt and yeast mixture, mix well. The texture of this dough has to be very soft. It will be very sticky at first, but after a few minutes of kneading it should become more elastic. If the dough continues to be sticky add more flour, but very little at a time and continue kneading. Once your dough is elastic place it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours or till doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 200 C. Prepare a baking tray about 45 cm in length. Place 45 cm long piece of baking paper on top of the working bench.
Lightly knead the dough, and move it on baking paper. Wet your hands and stretch the dough into a flat oblong shape. You may need to wet your hands a couple of times to avoid the dough from sticking to them. Make 4 equally linear indents with the outside edge of your hand. Leave your bread to sit in a warm place for 40-50 min. Brush with an egg and repeat the indents with the edge of your hand once again. Sprinkle with seeds and bake for 30-35minutes or till cooked through. Enjoy while warm with your favourite meals.
