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Shoti bread
Shotis puri: Kakheti's canoe-shaped white bread from the tone oven
Every Kakhetian village has a bakery where the baker leans into a round, pit-like tone oven and slaps long, pointed loaves onto its hot clay wall; the bread comes out crackly at the tips and soft in the middle, and it is bought warm every morning in Telavi and Sighnaghi. Shoti is just flour, water, yeast and salt, so the shape and the blast of heat do the work. At home a pizza stone or an upturned heavy baking tray, heated for a long time, gives a good copy. A common mistake is a dry, stiff dough; it should be soft enough to stretch into a long canoe without tearing. Chef's tip: spray the oven walls with water as the bread goes in; the burst of steam gives the blistered, glossy crust of the tone.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp fine semolinafor the stone
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Pour in 1 ½ cups lukewarm water and mix to a shaggy dough.
Step 2: Knead for 10 minutes until smooth, soft and springy; it should be a little tacky. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, until doubled.
10 minStep 3: Put a pizza stone or heavy upturned baking tray on the middle shelf and heat the oven to its highest setting, at least 475°F, for 40 minutes.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 4. Shape each into a ball, cover and rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 5: On a floured surface, roll and stretch each ball into a canoe about 35 cm long, thick in the middle and pulled out to thin points at both ends.
Step 6: Scatter 2 tbsp fine semolina on a peel or a floured board, lay two loaves on it and slide them onto the stone. Spray the oven with water and close the door quickly. Common mistake: opening the door in the first 5 minutes; the steam escapes and the crust stays pale.
Step 7: Bake for 9–11 minutes, until blistered and golden brown, with darker tips, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Bake the other two the same way.
20 minStep 8: Cool on a rack for 10 minutes and tear while warm.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shoti bread take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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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