Turkmen Bread (Çörek)
Makes 2
- 1 kg flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 20 g yeast
- 600 ml warm water
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the salt and flour. Mix with your fingers to combine all of the ingredients until the mixture forms a rough dough. Knead until the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot. When the dough begins to rise, divide into 2 balls. Cover each ball separately and allow to stand.
After the dough balls have risen, transfer each ball onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough down with your hands and shape into a round flat bread about 2 cm (¾ inch) thick and 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 250°C (482°F).
Place the bread onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Poke all over the bread with a fork or score in a deep cross-hatch pattern using a plastic cutting board. Brush the bread with water. Place the baking tray on the middle rack of the oven and bake the bread for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Approximately how long will it take for the bread to be finished (to golden brown)? Thanks!
Hi Gretchen, it usually takes about 15 minutes. Thanks for reminding me, I’ll add it to the recipe.
Thank you for this recipe. We will be testing it on our Turkmen exchange student and will let you know what he thinks.
Meanwhile, I think there is a problem with the baking temperature conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit. 250C is 482F, rounded up, call is 485F. Is the 250C correct?
Thanks again.
Thanks Greg, I hope your Turkmen exchange student likes it 🙂 As for the temperature, 250C is correct and you’re right, it should be 482F. I’ll correct it.
Thank you! He loved it! Though I think I let the second rise go on too long (overnight in the refrigerator, because I ran out of time to bake the evening before), and also used the hot air convection oven, cause the bread to rise about 3 cm more than in your picture and than he was used to with his mother’s chorek.
Also, his mother (Yomut) pricks the top of the dough with a fork, making star patterns on the top, rather than slicing the dough just before baking. So that was how we did it.
Anyway, thanks again! I will be looking for good soup recipes on your site as well. American soup is too thick for most Turkmen I have learned (American soups being more like stews in density / thickness).
That’s great to hear! I’ll be posting a soup recipe very soon 🙂
Great site, thank you
Just to let you know that I am one of “3 Amigos” here in Bali.
Every month we celebrate a different country’s Independence or National Day.
We invite guests/couples to chose and prepare a typical dish from that country.
Good fun with about 16 each time. We decorate with flags and a bit of history/geography/culture etc added. With music if we can find it!
For next month Turkmenistan Day we have come up with about 7 dishes, and several from your site. Allows guests to follow your well presented instructions.
Thanks again.
Roll on the 27th October!
The Three Amigos
p.s. This month (Sept) was Central Americas.
Thanks for sharing. We wish you a delicious 27th of October 🙂