Ekmek Turkish Bread
Ekmek, a light and pleasantly tangy flatbread, complements Havarti cheese beautifully in this Turkish bread recipe. The dough incorporates a starter that ferments over four days, and while I suggest using a pizza stone for baking, cookie sheets can also do the job. Despite its initial complexity, this recipe is more straightforward than it may seem.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups bread flour, divided
- ¾ cup water, divided
- 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 6 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- To make the starter: Place 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water in a bowl with a lid; stir well. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. The next day, add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to the bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. On the third day, add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to the bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
- To make the dough: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- Break the starter into small pieces and add it to the yeast mixture. Stir in 4 cups of flour and salt. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and cover it with a dry cloth. Let it rise until doubled in size.
- Put the dough back onto a lightly floured work surface and punch out the air. Divide the dough in half and knead each piece for 2 to 3 minutes. Shape each piece into a tight oval loaf. Sprinkle two sheet pans with corn meal. Roll and stretch the two loaves until they are 15×12-inch ovals. Dust the tops of the loaves with flour. Cover with a dry cloth and let them rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Mist with water 3 times in the first 15 minutes. Loaves are done when their bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Let cool on wire racks before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 6kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gSodium: 390mgPotassium: 34mgCalcium: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!