Lavash
Paper-thin unleavened flatbread, blistered and scored in the tradition of the hearth.
Step-by-step →Bread · Yerevan, Ararat valley
MATNAKASH
Մատնաքաշ
Soft golden loaf whose name means "drawn with fingers" — the grooves are pulled by hand before baking.
3 h
Total time
Makes 2 loaves
Yield
4
Steps
Step by step
HOW IT IS MADE
- 01
Start a sponge
Whisk yeast, sugar and half the water with 150 g flour and leave it twenty minutes until foaming.
- 02
Knead and rise
Add the rest of the flour, water, salt and oil. Knead ten minutes to a soft, slightly sticky dough and let it double, about ninety minutes.
- 03
Draw the fingers
Shape two flat ovals on trays. Cook the flour glaze into a thin paste, brush it over, then press deep grooves with your fingers — one long line down the middle, ribs along each side.
- 04
Bake hot
Rest twenty minutes, then bake at 230 °C for 20–25 minutes until deep gold. Cool on a rack so the base stays dry.
At a glance
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Energy
- ≈ 240 kcal per portion
- Preparation
- 2 h 20 min including rising
- Cooking
- 25 min
- Season
- All year
- Occasion
- Everyday bread, breakfast, any meal at all
Cook's notes
GET IT RIGHT
- The flour-and-water glaze is what makes the crust shine — do not skip it.
- Press the grooves firmly, right down into the dough, or they close in the oven.
- Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky; stiff dough gives a dry crumb.
- Bake hot and fast for colour without drying it out.
Variations
Seeded matnakash
Sesame or nigella pressed into the glaze before baking.
Whole-grain
Replace a quarter of the flour with wholemeal for a denser village loaf.
Questions
ASKED IN THE KITCHEN
Why is my crust dull?
The glaze was too thin, or the loaf was underbaked. Aim for deep gold.
Can I use a stand mixer?
Yes, eight minutes on medium is enough.
History & Culture
WHY THIS DISH
Matnakash is the everyday bread of Soviet-era and modern Yerevan bakeries, sold warm by weight and torn rather than sliced. Its grooves are practical as well as decorative: they control the rise and give the crust its shine.
Where lavash belongs to the tonir and the village, matnakash belongs to the city — the bread of apartment kitchens, corner bakeries and the paper bag carried home under an arm.
MORE FROM
THE TABLE
All Recipes
Khorovats
Charcoal lamb glazed in pomegranate molasses, the Sunday centerpiece of the Caucasus.
Step-by-step →
Manti
Hand-pleated beef dumplings, fried crisp and buried under a crown of black walnut.
Step-by-step →