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Matnakash
Matnakash: Yerevan's soft oval bread scored with finger grooves
Matnakash means 'finger-pulled', and that is how the Yerevan bakeries shape it: a big oval of soft, leavened dough pressed with the fingertips into long grooves, brushed with a glaze and baked until shiny and golden. It is the everyday table bread of the capital, thicker and softer than lavash, torn at breakfast with cheese and herbs. The glaze, traditionally made from a little flour cooked with water and sugar or simply brushed with sweet tea, gives the crackled, glossy crust. A common mistake is pressing the grooves too lightly; they vanish as the bread rises in the oven. Chef's tip: press right down to the tray with four fingers, then pull outward to stretch the loaf; the deep channels are what make it matnakash.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅓ lb strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the glaze
- ¼ cup strong black tea
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp plain flour
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅓ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 2 tsp salt. Add 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water and 2 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy; it should be soft and a little sticky. Cover and rise for 1½ hours, until doubled.
10 minStep 2: Divide into 2. Shape each into a ball, cover and rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Line two trays with baking paper. Flatten each ball into an oval about 30 × 20 cm.
Step 4: Simmer ¼ cup strong black tea, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp plain flour for 1 minute, stirring, until slightly thickened. Cool.
1 minStep 5: Brush the loaves with glaze. Press four fingers straight down to the tray to make 4 long grooves along each loaf, then a groove around the edge, pulling the dough gently outward. Common mistake: shallow grooves; they disappear in the oven.
Step 6: Rise for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 450°F (fan 400°F).
30 minStep 7: Brush again and bake for 20–25 minutes, until deep golden and glossy and the base sounds hollow. Cool on a rack.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does matnakash take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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