Obi non
Uzbek tandoor flatbread with a stamped centre (Kazakh: tandyr nan)
Every Uzbek meal starts with bread torn by hand and passed round the table, and obi non is the everyday loaf: a round with a thick, soft rim and a thin, crisp centre pricked with a patterned stamp called a chekich. In Samarkand and Tashkent it comes out of clay tandoors at dawn, and across the border in Kazakhstan the same bread is sold as tandyr nan. Bread is never cut with a knife and never laid face down. A very hot oven and a baking stone or upturned tray come close to the tandoor at home. Eat it warm with green tea, achichuk salad, soups and plov. Chef's tip: press the centre really thin and prick it all over; if you don't, it puffs into a ball like pitta and you lose the flat, crackly middle.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
For the top
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Pour in ¾ cup warm water, ½ cup warm milk and 1 tbsp sunflower oil and stir into a shaggy dough.
Step 2: Knead on a lightly floured worktop for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky and springs back slowly when poked.
10 minStep 3: Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled and full of air bubbles when you pull back an edge.
60 minStep 4: Put a baking stone or heavy upturned tray on the middle shelf and heat the oven to 475°F (or as hot as it goes) for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Knock back the dough, divide into 4 and roll each into a tight ball. Rest under a cloth for 15 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
15 minStep 6: Flatten each ball by hand into an 18 cm round. Now press the middle hard with your fingertips into a thin disc about 10 cm across, leaving a 3 cm rim all round. The rim should be noticeably puffy, the centre almost see-through.
Step 7: Stamp the centre all over with a chekich or prick it densely with a fork in rings or a flower pattern. A common mistake is to prick too lightly: unpricked spots puff up and the loaf loses its shape.
Step 8: Brush the rims and centre with 1 egg yolk and scatter 1 tsp nigella seeds and 1 tsp sesame seeds over the middle.
Step 9: Slide two loaves onto the hot stone, flick a little water onto the oven floor for steam and close the door. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the rim is deep golden-brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
12 minStep 10: Wrap the hot loaves in a clean cloth for 5 minutes so the crust softens slightly, then bake the rest. Tear, don't cut, to serve. Breads keep 2 days wrapped, or freeze them and warm through in a hot oven.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 100 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does obi non take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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