Stamped tandoor flatbread with a decorative pattern — the daily bread of Kazakhstan, baked in a clay oven.
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.
Serves 4
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.
Divide into 2–3 balls. Flatten each into a round about 25 cm diameter, thicker in the centre and thinner at the edges.
Use a fork, skewer or bread stamp to create a decorative pattern of holes in the centre of each nan.
Cover and rest 15 minutes on the baking tray.
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.
The pattern of holes in the centre is both decorative and functional — it keeps the bread flat.
A very hot oven (220°C) mimics the tandoor and gives the best crust.
Brush with butter immediately from the oven for extra flavour.
Sprinkle with nigella seeds instead of sesame.
Add a tablespoon of yoghurt to the dough for a slightly tangy flavour.
Best eaten the day of baking. Rewarm in the oven at 180°C for 5 minutes. Keeps for 2 days in a cloth.
Nan bread has been the staple bread of Central Asia for millennia. The decorative chekich stamp patterns are unique to each region and even family, passed down through generations as a form of cultural identity.
Yes — cook in a very hot dry cast-iron pan, covered, for 4–5 minutes per side. You won't get the same colour but the texture is similar.
Per serving · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes