Tashkent Non (uzbeki Bread)

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• milk, oil (optional) or lard (optional)
• nigella seeds (optional) or sesame seeds (optional)

Recipe

• 1 dissolve the yeast in the water.
• 2 add the flours and salt to make a soft dough.
• 3 turn out and knead until it's smooth, but still a little sticky.
• 4 let rise in a warm place for two hours, or until doubled.
• 5 turn out and divide into 4 pieces.
• 6 form each pieace into a flattened round. press in the center section of each round - you don't want it to rise as much.
• 7 let rest, covered, on a lightly floured surface for about 20 minutes.
• 8 preheat oven to 450 or 475 deg - if you have a pizza stone or quarry tiles, use those, otherwise use a cookie sheet.
• 9 press down the center of each round again, and then press in a chekich, if you happen to have one, or prick the center area with a fork - the chekich makes a nice pattern - star shapes etc. - so why not use your fork to make a nice pattern, too? do this just before putting into the oven, so if your oven will not hold all four loaves at once, hold off on the ones that are staying on the counter.
• 10 lightly brush the loaf with milk, oil or melted lard and sprinkle with nigella or sesame seeds.
• 11 bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• 12 best eaten hot or within a day or so.