Lavash Middle Eastern Bread

By
Saad Fayed
Saad Fayed
A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/20/21
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for the Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer and product tester at Food Network. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 32 mins
Rise Time:: 2 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 2 mins
Servings: 8 servings

This easy recipe for lavash, a thin, soft flatbread popular in Turkey, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries, is made with flour, water, and salt. Many recipes do not include any leavening, but this one uses yeast for a softer texture. It is not too dissimilar from pita, naan, and other flatbreads that are often served as wraps or with dips. In fact, lavash is served with dips like​ hummus or baba ghanoush and used for wraps and other sandwiches.

The bread's thickness differs depending on how flat and thin you roll it out. For extra taste, you can sprinkle on either toasted sesame or poppy seeds before baking. Traditionally, lavash is cooked against the hot walls of a clay oven. Food experts believe lavash originated in Armenia, while other foodies claim it first surfaced in the Middle East. Regardless of where it originated, it's now a popular table bread throughout the Middle East.

Lavash flatbread recipe

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"Although a gas or electric home oven can't replicate a traditional clay oven, making lavash at home can still be quite delicious, satisfying, and fun." —Diana Andrews

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Ingredients

  • 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water, 105 F to 115 F

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 540 grams (4 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, optional

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for lavash flatbread
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  2. In a measuring cup, combine yeast, water, and sugar. Mix until yeast is dissolved. Set aside.

    Yeast, water, and sugar combined in a measuring cup
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  3. Coat a large bowl with oil. Set aside while the yeast begins to bubble and show activity, 6 to 10 minutes.

    Oil a large bowl
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  4. In another large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.

    Combine flour and salt in a large bowl
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  5. Add yeast-water-sugar mixture and form a dough.

    Mix together yeast, water, sugar, flour, and salt
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  6. Knead dough for 10 to 15 minutes by hand or 5 to 8 minutes using a dough hook on medium speed in a stand mixer, until the dough is smooth and shiny.

    Knead dough for lavash in a stand mixer
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  7. Once the dough is kneaded, place the ball of dough in the oiled bowl. Roll the dough around the bowl to coat it with oil.

    Dough rolled into a ball and placed in an oiled bowl
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  8. Cover and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

    Cover and let dough rise for two hours
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  9. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down to release air.

    Punch down dough to release air
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  10. Continue to knead for about 5 minutes.

    Kneading dough in an oiled bowl
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  11. With lightly floured hands, roll the dough into 8 equal sized balls of dough and transfer to a lightly floured bowl or plate. Lightly flour the tops of the balls as well.

    Divide dough into 8 balls
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  12. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Position two racks in the top and center parts of the oven and heat to 475 F.

    Cover and allow dough balls to rise
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  13. Once the balls of dough have risen, roll them out on a lightly floured work surface into thin rectangles, about 9 x 7 inches. They should be as thin as pizza dough.

    Flatbreads rolled out and stacked on a cutting board
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  14. Line a baking sheet with parchment and transfer as many rectangles as will fit in one layer (you might only be able to fit 2 at a time). Puncture the entire surface of the rectangles with the tines of a fork.

    Transfer dough, pricked with fork tines, to baking sheets
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  15. Brush dough with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds and poppy seeds, if desired.

    Brush dough with oil and sprinkle with poppy seeds and sesame seeds
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  16. Start with the baking sheet in the center of the oven for 4 minutes, then move it to the top rack for 3 or 4 minutes until starting to brown and puff in places. Repeat with the remaining dough.

    Bake flatbreads
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  17. Eat while still warm or when cool. Enjoy.

    Flatbreads stacked on a wooden cutting board
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How to Store and Reheat Lavash

Don't wait too long to eat lavash after baking it. It's best warm right out of the oven, the day it's made. This bread dries out quickly and often becomes brittle and/or hard to chew. If you don't plan to eat it immediately, place it in a zip-close bag as soon as it cools to room temperature.


To reheat leftover lavash, spray the bread lightly on both sides with water, and microwave until soft and warmed through, about 20 seconds.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
311 Calories
3g Fat
58g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 311
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 246mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 16mg 1%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 208mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)