Ingredients

• Four cups of all-purpose wheat flour
• 2 cups of warm water
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 2 tsp of salt
• 5 cup of sourdough starter
• 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Preparation and Cooking

• In a small bowl, dissolve sugar in the warm water, then add the active dry yeast. Stir and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
• In a large bowl, add the flour and salt, and mix well and add the foamy yeast mixture and olive oil to the dry ingredients, and mix and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Note that as suggested previously, for mixing, you can use your hands or an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment.
• Shape the dough into a large ball and place it in a greased bowl, and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for about 6-8 hours.
• After the dough has risen, gently deflate it and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, a benchtop. Divide the dough into equal portions, depending on the desired number of loaves, but larger than the size of Turkish loaf.
• Shape each portion into an oval shape, and fold the edges towards the center, and press gently to seal the folds. Then flip the dough over, so the seam side is facing down, and press and stretch the dough gently with your hands to elongate it, while maintaining an oval shape.
• Transfer the shaped loaves onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping adequate space between them. Allow the loaves to rise for about 30-45 minutes or until they become puffy.
• Inside a dough ball tray, transfer the shaped-loaves onto a proofing couche cloth or a floured or parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping adequate space between them, and allow the loaves to rise for about 30-40 minutes or until they become puffy.
• Load the rested dough on a lightly-floured wider peel paddle and spray water. Then, as in Turkish loaf, using a sharp knife or razor, make a single diagonal slash on the surface of each loaf. Note that the scoring razor can be greased with butter or dip into the water to make an easy cut. Caraway seeds may also be added at this stage.
• Bake the loaves for 30-40 minutes when the wood fired oven temperature is about 180-200^oC and without any flame radiated heat or ideally under slow cooking mode (no active fire and the oven door is closed) until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving. It is usually consumed for breakfast with cheese, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers. It can also be preferred alongside soups or main courses.

Hints and Comments

This bread is originated from the Black Sea region, and it is highly popular wood fired oven bread for its chewy texture, unique round shape and slightly sour taste. Trabzon Bread is often served as an accompaniment to meals.

Note that the scoring in the bread allows the bread to expand while baking and give it a traditional look.