Puff bread ?

[Inishta]

A baker I am not, as the title of the thread may indicate.

Here in Turkey we are often given complimentary bread and garlic butter to nibble on while waiting for our meal to be prepared. There are different types but the one I am asking about, hence the strange topic title, arrives at the table blown up in the shape of a football. Straight out of the WFO full of steam and often of a huge size. Sometimes the baker will write some greeting in poppy seed on top. Absolutely delicious. After being torn open for a period, say 10 minutes the softness goes out of the bread and the top half becomes crispy. The question is...................How do they do that??

A recipe and method would be invaluable as I am totally at a loss to understand.

inishta

[CanuckJim]

Re: Puff bread ?

Inishta,

I'm not entirely sure of the recipe, but it sounds like a type of giant pita style bread. There are many names and recipes for this type of thing worldwide, but you can find a decent starter recipe at King Arthur Flour. All of these flatbreads are baked in a very hot oven, either directly on the floor or on the sides of a tandor. They puff up almost immediately, hence the pocket in a pita. Actual pitas are usually removed from the oven and piled one on top of the other to deflate them but keep the pocket. Your experience is with one that is allowed to keep its balloon shape. The crispiness must have to do with the ingredients used, because traditional pitas usually remain soft. They might be adding something like honey to get this effect. Try to get the recipe; I, and I'm sure others, would be interested.

Jim

[Inishta]

Re: Puff bread ?

Many thanks CJ......................I knew that one of the forums bread experts would come up trumps.

I now have an inklink about what is going on. The bread is indeed baked at a high temperature as the oven in the restaurants do pizzas and pides (Turkish pizza) as well as countless starters and main courses.

The little I have been able to glean up to now is that Turkish flour does not conform to the normal typing. No 00 or anything like that. Artisan millers, almost as cottage industries in the villages, produce 'bread flour' 'cake flour' and other descriptive titles. As with almost everything here in Turkey it doesn't always do what it says on the tin.

More research is required and I shall make results available on the forum.

inishta

[Inishta]

Re: Puff bread ?

This has intrigued me and sparked my natural curiosity. CJ was indeed correct. This is a flatbread...........indeed one of the most ancient. It is called lavas (pronounced lavash) and credited to the Armenians but widely consumed in the Middle East and Caucasus. I have been doing some research but have only come up with online recipes for the cracker type and since it is almost 3 am here I am going to call it a day (or night). I am posting this as there is a good chance the bakers on the forum may have a recipe in their books or online resource but I shall get a local recipe soonest.

Good morrow all ..................iinishta

[james]

Re: Puff bread ?

I love that bread. We visited Istanbul once, and had a great time, eating and exploring. I had the Puff Bread made in a brick oven -- it really does look like a football, with an air pocket that has to be 7 inches.

Is it type of pita?

Here is a link to one of the ovens we saw there.
James

http://www.fornobravo.com/pizza_oven.../Istanbul.html

[Inishta]

Re: Puff bread ?

A bit more info for you bakers out there.

Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore - Google Book Search

A long link but pages 27, 28, 29 are the ones you need to read. The sourdough connection is interesting.

inishta

[CanuckJim]

Re: Puff bread ?

Inishta,

Interesting article. There are many, many, many lavash recipes and techniques out there. In his Bread Baker's Apprentice, Peter Reinhart has one I've used many times. As well, here's a recipe that, while a bit less than traditional, is quite good: Lavash Recipe at Epicurious.com . The real trick to them is to make sure the oven floor is HOT, pizza temp. They will bake very quickly, so don't leave the oven and bake with the door off.

Jim