Kazakh Nan

About This Recipe

Kazakh nan is the daily bread of Central Asia — a large, round flatbread baked in a tandoor clay oven, its surface decorated with a beautiful stamped pattern made using a bread stamp (chekich). The bread is thick in the centre and thinner at the edges, slightly crisp outside and soft within. It is torn by hand and shared at every meal. The decorative pattern is partly cultural and partly functional — it prevents the centre from puffing too much during baking.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gplain flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 250 mlwarm water
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1egg yolk(for glaze)
• 1 tbspsesame seeds(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make dough

   Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt and oil. Add warm water gradually to form a smooth, soft dough. Knead 8 minutes. Cover and rise 1 hour.

2. 2

   Shape

   Divide into 2–3 balls. Flatten each into a round about 25 cm diameter, thicker in the centre and thinner at the edges.

3. 3

   Score or stamp

   Use a fork, skewer or bread stamp to create a decorative pattern of holes in the centre of each nan.

4. 4

   Rest

   Cover and rest 15 minutes on the baking tray.

5. 5

   Bake

   Brush with egg yolk, scatter sesame seeds if using. Bake at 220°C for 15–18 minutes until golden brown. The centre holes prevent the bread from puffing unevenly.

Variations

• •

  Sprinkle with nigella seeds instead of sesame.

• •

  Add a tablespoon of yoghurt to the dough for a slightly tangy flavour.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Best eaten the day of baking. Rewarm in the oven at 180°C for 5 minutes. Keeps for 2 days in a cloth.

Frequently Asked Questions