Market
The manufacture of national
Russian bread products
I n t e r e s t i n e t h n i c c u i s i n e h a s i n c r e a s e d s t e a d i l y i n r e c e n t y e a r s . R e gi o n s s u c h
as Central Asia and Transcaucasia have a se rie s of typical baked products man u­
+
The conventional technology used to manufacture national baked goods displays a series of specific characteristic features, particularly the use of special sourdoughs
as the leavening agents. As a rule they are produced using
artisan methods. In addition, the final shaping does not take
place until after proofing and immediately before baking. In
the traditional technology, flatbreads, tschurek and lavash
breads are baked in special types of oven called tandoor or
torne ovens. The tandoor is used to bake bread products in
artisan businesses in Central Asia, whereas the torne is used
in Transcaucasia. The quality of the products is affected by
the temperature inside the tandoor, the nature of the heat
supply and the composition of the gas atmosphere. The way
the dough pieces are put onto the tandoor’s conical dome is
also decisively important. The temperature in the baking
cavity when baking flatbreads in a tandoor is between 175–
195 °C. The temperature of the base initially rises to 100 °C
within 1 min, after which it increases continuously up to 140 °C.
Such specific heating is attributable to the high initial temperature of the ceramic oven hearth (230–250 °C) and its large
heat storage capacity. The temperature of the top crust at the
start of the baking process rises rapidly, reaching 110 °C after
1.5 min, after which the rate of increase slows down. The baking
process in the baking cavity at a high relative humidity leads
to rapid heating of the surface of the dough or bread at the
start of baking, due to the condensation of steam on the surface.
The national style of baking in Central Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kirgizstan, Kazakhstan) has features
similar to the artisan businesses, but there are also noteworthy
differences. The widest range of products is found in Uzbekis­
tan. Since the earliest times, the Uzbek people have baked a
variety of different types and shapes of baked goods for daily
use and for special rituals. One of the ritual bread types is
“schirmai non” or “gizhda non”, whose recipe contains chickpea
flour (occasionally pea flour) and anise-flavored schnapps,
b a k i n g + b i s c u i t ISSU E 0 1 2 0 1 4
which is rich in essential oils. The range of Uzbek flatbreads
is extremely varied and includes several dozen products. At the
same time, goods with similar recipes, manufacturing methods
and appearances can have different names in different areas
of the republics. Plain flatbreads, e.g. obi non, are baked from
superfine flour (a finely milled white flour, ash content less
than 0.55 %), premium grade wheat flour (ordinary household flour with an ash content of less than 0.75 %) or second
grade flour (a darker flour with an ash content of 1.1–1.2 %).
Gizhda, kashgar flatbread, pulati non, osiogi non, lotschira
and ui non are baked only from premium grade wheat flour.
Recipes for pulati non and osiogi non also contain cream, and
obi non is decorated with poppy or sesame seed. The baked
goods in this group are circular in shape with a depression
in the center and a bulging edge. The center of the bread is
ornamented with a pattern applied using a tschekitsch. Gizhda,
lotschira and ui non flatbreads weigh 200–400 g, obi non weigh
200 g, 300 g or 400 g, pulati non and osiogi non weigh 200,
400 and 500 g, and a kashgar flatbread weighs 500 g. Uzbek
flatbreads are also produced in other Central Asian countries,
e.g. in Kazakhstan. Obi non flatbread, i.e. a plain flatbread
weighing 200 or 400 g with a bulging edge, thin embossed
center and decorated with a little sesame, is the most popular
bread product. The dough for plain flatbreads is prepared by
indirect or direct dough processing. Baked goods of the
highest quality are manufactured using sourdoughs.
The leavening agent thus obtained is diluted with water (water
temperature at least 39 °C) to a broth-like consistency. Next
17 kg of flour and water are added and the leavening agent
Author
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georgii G. Dubtsov
FSBfBH Moscow State University of Food Production,
Moscow, Russia +++
© Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georgii G. Dubtsov
© Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georgii G. Dubtsov
f a c t u r e d m a i n ly f r o m w h e a t f l o u r a n d r a r e ly f r o m w h o l e g r a i n w h e a t f l o u r
© Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georgii G. Dubtsov
58
59
Market
++ table 2: Recipe and processing of the sourdough
Strong meat broth (38 °C), l
1.5
Flour, kg
Onions, kg
0.5
Water
Sour milk, l
0.2
Water temperature, °C
38
Flour, kg
3.0
Leavening agent, kg
28
Original dough temperature, °C
29
Original acid value
3.0
43.0
Original acid value of the leavening agent
2.4
Proofing time, h
16
Proofing temperature, °C
29
Final acid value
6.4
(khamir turusch) is mixed in. The moisture content of the
leavening agent at this point is 43.2 %. The proofing time of
the leavening agent in the second stage is 4–6 h until a final acid
value of 6.4 is reached, and the proofing temperature is 29 °C.
Patir flatbread is a special group of baked products. It includes fine pastries and products made from unleavened
dough. All the baked goods in this group have a particular
shape: a thin edge and an embossed center. The dough is
prepared by indirect or direct processing, using pressed or
liquid yeast. The addition of ripened dough equal to 10–
20 % of the weight of flour is recommended for the direct
process. The ripe dough is cut into pieces and allowed to
proof for 20–25 min, after which dough pieces are molded.
Baked goods weighing 200 g are baked for 5–6 min, and heavy
baked goods weighing 400 g are baked for 8–10 min. To give
the surface a gloss, the dough pieces are sprayed with water
before baking and after emerging from the oven.
The inhabitants of the remote regions of Kirgizstan bake
katirma flatbreads from unleavened dough. Unleavened dough
81
as calculated
Proofing time, h
4
Proofing temperature, °C
40
Final acid value
2,9
of normal consistency is blended from flour, salt and water
(moisture content 44–45 %). This is molded into circular dough
pieces that are then rolled out and baked on a hearth slab.
Katamma is one of the region’s most widespread artisan baked
products. For this, a uniform elastic unleavened dough is
prepared from flour, water and salt. After a dough rest of
5–10 min, this is rolled out into a flat dough piece 1–2 mm
thick. The rolled out dough piece is brushed with cream or
melted butter, then folded together into an envelope shape,
rolled out again, smeared with melted butter and baked on a
heated pan or in a kasan, which is a traditional pot.
A wide variety of flatbread types are prepared in Tad­zhi­k is­
tan. Like the Uzbek breads, these flatbreads are given their
final shape just before being put into the tandoor oven. The
surface is sprinkled with sesame seed.
In addition to flatbread, baursaki are also manufactured in
Kazakhstan. These are irregularly shaped circular dough
pieces fried in oil. The diameter of the individual pieces varies
from 2 to 3.5 cm. Baursaki are prepared from premium u
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b a k i n g + b i s c u i t ISSU E 0 1 2 0 1 4
source: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georgii G. Dubtsov
Leavening agent moisture content, %
source: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georgii G. Dubtsov
++ table 1: Recipe and processing of the leavening agent
to bake obi non flatbread (according to G.M. Makhkamov)
Market
++ table 3: Recipe for baursaki (in kg)
Ingredients
dough
containing fat
unleavened/
lean dough
Premium quality
wheat flour
100
100
Pressed yeast
1.5
1.5
Cooking salt
1.6
1.0
Granulated sugar
3
–
Margarine
4
–
200/8
–
Whole milk
25
–
Oil for frying
13
13
Eggs, number/kg
grade wheat flour; lean dough or dough containing fat is
used for this purpose. 75–80 baursaki are produced from 1 kg.
The dough for baursaki is processed by an indirect method.
Re-kneading takes place 1 h after initial mixing. The ripened
dough is cut into pieces each weighing 2–5 kg, rolled out to
a thickness of 2.5–3 cm and passed through an extruder. The
dough is rolled down, cut into dough pieces measuring
3–3.5 cm and placed on trays to proof. The proofed dough
pieces are fried in boiling oil.
Bread products manufactured in Transcaucasia are very
similar to the Central Asian bread goods in recipe, use of
leavening agent for baking, baking process etc. However, as
a rule they are heavier and thicker, and the crumb pore
structure is more pronounced. Bread products in the form
of baked flatbreads 2–5 mm thick (Armenian lavash, Azerbaijani jukha) are widespread in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
These products have a long shelf life due to their low moisture content.
Azerbaijani tschurek made from superfine wheat flour and
weighing 500, 800 and 1,000 g, and tschurek from Gandscha
(Ganca) made from premium wheat flour with weights of
500 and 1,000 g are very popular in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani
tschurek is a freely set bread product in an oval shape with a
bulging edge and a depression in the center, or an oval
strand bread with a ribbed surface. Tschurek from Ganca
has a round shape with an embossed surface. The product
has the following dimensions: base diameter 20–22 cm for a
weight of 500 g, 30–32 cm for a weight of 1,000 g. The edge
thickness is 3–4 cm and the baked product is 1.5–2 cm thick
in the center. The moisture content of the crumb is not
greater than 41 %, and the acidity is not more than 3°. The
dough for Gancian tschurek is prepared using liquid predough and pressed yeast. The dough preparation and rolling
down of the dough pieces are carried out using laminating
butter. After molding, the dough pieces are deposited with
the closure at the bottom for the final proof. The final proof
can also take place in cloth cassettes. The proofed dough
pieces are rolled flat using the hands moistened with water,
then embossed and baked.
b a k i n g + b i s c u i t ISSU E 0 1 2 0 1 4
source: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georgii G. Dubtsov
60
Plain (unleavened) dough is used for mass-produced bread in
Georgia. The types of bread have different shapes: mrgvali –
circular, schoti – elongated crescent, trakhtinuli – elongated
shape, madauri – oval shape with one pointed and one semicircular end. All the products have a bulging edge, which is
achieved by baking on the (vertical) sidewall in the hearth.
These special characteristics of shaping and baking are asso­
ciated with the centuries-old tradition of the Georgians,
when several generations of the family lived together. The
thinner edge, which was toasted and hard, was given to the
younger members and the thickened edge, which was corres­
pondingly softer, was kept for the older folk. Mtschadi flatbread made from maize flour with a water-to-flour ratio of
2:1.5 is baked in the western regions of Georgia.
Matnakasch and thin lavash are the most popular in Armenia.
These are both plain products, because the recipe consists
only of flour, water and salt. Matnakasch can have an elongated
oval, an oval or a circular shape with 5–6 longitudinal
grooves in the case of bread sold by weight, and 3–4 groves
for piece goods. The dough for thin lavash is prepared using
a pre-dough. A portion of ripe dough is added to the pre-dough
instead of pressed yeast. The amount of added salt is 1.5 %
when manufacturing bread goods from premium flour, 2 %
for second grade flour and 2.5 % salt for wholegrain wheat
flour. Armenian thin lavash is an elongated oval sheet about
3 mm thick and rather flexible. A sheet of this kind can be
bent without it breaking. The weight of such a sheet is 300 g.
The moisture content is 28–30 % and the acidity is 4–6°,
depending on the type of flour. The dough is proofed for
50–60 min. The ripeness of the dough is determined based
on the acidity and a 1.5-fold increase in volume. Ripe dough
is cut into pieces, individual pieces are molded into a round
shape, deposited onto plywood boards, dusted with flour,
covered with cloth covers and put to one side to proof. The
proofed dough pieces are pressed flat by hand in the shape
of a circular base with thinner edges on a special table, then
rolled out using a special rolling pin into oval pancake
shapes measuring 40–45 cm. The dough pieces are then given
to the master baker, who throws each dough piece from one
hand to the other. The dough piece elongated in this way is
uniformly stretched by hand onto a special panel (rafata)
which is 85 cm long and 36 cm wide, and is then applied by
a powerful blow to the inner surface of the tandoor, where
the bread is baked at 300–310 °C within 40–60 sec. After the
breads have been baked, they are removed and hung up to
cool on special pin frames.
Plain bread goods in the shape of tschurek or lavash (Dages­
tani tschurek, Chechen lavash) are manufactured in the North
Caucasian republics. Home-made tschurek made from maize
flour is very popular among the population in the North
Caucasus, especially the rural population. These bread goods
have a round or oval shape and weigh 200–500 g. The dough
is processed directly. The maize flour should be sieved to
aerate it before mixing, because the finer the flour the higher
is the quality of the tschurek. Hot water at a temperature of
61
Market
Schoti
Trakhtinuli
circular bread
from a tandoor oven
Kutkhiani
75–80 °C is used for the mixing. The salt is not dissolved,
but is mixed with the flour instead. The dough is finally
molded into a flatbread shape. The dough moisture content
should be 44 %.
The manufacturing technology of the national bread goods
has absorbed the experience of many generations of master
bakers. Among many peoples bread, like no other product,
is a symbol of the household, of the family and of its wealth.
For example in the past an Uzbek mother whose son went to
do military service would give him a flatbread which he bit
into: This bitten bread would be kept safely in the sure belief
that the son would return.
The growing interest in ethnic food, and as a consequence of
the organization of the production of national bread far
away from its region of origin, is an indication that peoples
are coming closer together and is in a certain sense a result
of the mutual penetration of the cultures.
Literature
+ Dubtsov G.G. Manufacture of national bread products
– M.: Agropromisdat, 1991. – 142 pages. (Дубцов Г.Г.
Производство национальных хлебных изделий. - М.:
Агропромиздат,1991. – 142 с.)
+ Makhkamov G.M., Gjugosjants A.I., Svinkin S.N. Uzbek
flatbreads – Tashkent: Verlag AN UdSSR, 1961. – 70 pages.
(Махкамов Г.М., Гюгосянц А.И., Свинкин С.Н. Узбекские
лепешки. – Ташкент: Из-во АН УзССР, 1961. – 70с.)
+ Pokhlebkin V.V. The national cuisine of our peoples. 2 nd
Edition. 3-M.: Agropromisdat. 1990. – 605 pages.
(Похлебкин В.В.Национальные кухни наших
народов.2- изд. З-М.: Агропромиздат. 1990. – 605 с.)
+ Omnibus volume of recipes and manufacturing instructions
to produce the national varieties of baked goods – M.:
Pishchevaya Promyschlennost’, 1975. – 264 pages. (Сборник
рецептур и технологических инструкций по выработке
национальных сортов хлебобулочных изделий -М.:
Пищевая промышленность, 1975. – 264 c.) +++
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lines for industrial bakeries
b a k i n g + b i s c u i t ISSU E 0 1 2 0 1 4
© Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georgii G. Dubtsov
Georgian “Madauri” lavash