National Post (National Edition)
One steppe at a time
OLD TASHKENT NON BREAD With raisins and walnuts
❚ 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
❚ 1 1/2 tsp fast action yeast
❚ 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
❚ 1/2 tsp superfine sugar
❚ 180 mL (3/4 cup) tepid water
❚ 2 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
❚ Handful of raisins
❚ Handful of walnuts, shelled and quartered
❚ Ice cubes
❚ 1 tsp black or white sesame seeds
1. Put the flour into a large mixing bowl, then add the yeast to one side and the salt and sugar to the other, keeping them separate. Form a well in the middle of the flour and slowly pour in the water, mixing it all together with a wooden spoon.
2. Lightly oil a work surface, turn out the dough and begin to knead. It will be very wet and sticky at this stage but persevere — it will come together. For best results, use a dough scraper to work the dough, moving it around as best you can until it has firmed up and is silky to the touch. The slap and fold kneading method is very helpful here.
3. After about 10 minutes, once the dough is firmer, smoother and less sticky, shape it into a ball. Clean the mixing bowl, grease it with a few drops of sunflower oil and set the dough back inside. Cover the bowl with a clean and damp tea towel and place it in the warmest spot of the kitchen. Leave it to rise for 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
4. Gently knock the air out by folding the dough in on itself a few times and reshape it into a domed round. Cover a chopping board with parchment paper and dust with flour, placing the dough on top. Re-cover it with the tea towel and leave to rise again for 45 minutes; it should eventually puff up to a little dome about 17 cm (7 in) in width.
5. Preheat the oven to 240°C (475°F/gas mark 9) or to its highest temperature. Place a greased baking sheet or a pizza stone inside to heat up.
6. Once the dough has proved for a second time, make a depression, roughly 8 cm (3 in), in the middle using the heel of your hand. Brush the depression with sunflower oil, then using the tines of a fork, or a chekich bread stamp, stamp holes in it (the idea is that it won't rise). Then using a sharp knife, with the blade dipped in a little oil to stop it sticking, make 10 slashes in the fat ring around the depression and stuff, as deeply as possible without cutting all the way through, one raisin followed by one walnut, alternately. Get them buried or they will burn. Add 5–10 ice cubes to another baking tray – this tray will be going into the oven at the same time as the non, on the shelf underneath it, to create steam.
7. Liberally brush the whole non with the remaining sunflower oil then decorate with little clusters of sesame seeds. Slide it onto its warmed baking sheet or pizza stone and carefully whip away the parchment. Transfer to the oven along with the tray of ice placed on the shelf underneath. Bake for around 20 minutes until golden and the bottom is crusty. Eat on the same day or to bring back to life, simply spritz with some water and place under the grill for a few minutes. Makes: 1 large round non bread