Serbian Flatbread (Lepinja)

Name: Serbian Flatbread (Lepinja)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Serbia
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) lukewarm water; 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) instant or fast-action dry yeast; 1 tsp (4 g) sugar; 4 cups (500 g) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting; 1 1/2 tsp (9 g) fine salt; 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable or sunflower oil

лепиња lepinjaSay it: LEH-pee-nyah

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 7, 2026.

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Lepinja is the soft, round flatbread of Serbia, the bread that cradles pljeskavica and ćevapi and soaks up every drop of kajmak. Bakers shape it by hand and bake it hot and fast, so it puffs into a pillowy disc with a golden top and a slightly chewy crumb. It is eaten warm, split open or torn at the table, at breakfast with cheese, and at every grill dinner across the country. Plain flour, yeast, water and a little oil are all it takes.

Serbian Flatbread (Lepinja)

лепиња, lepinja

Pronounced LEH-pee-nyah

Serves: 4
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 45 min
Level: Easy

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains gluten. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

Dough

1 1/4 cups (300 ml)300 ml (1 1/4 cups) lukewarm water
2 1/4 tsp (7 g)7 g (2 1/4 tsp) instant or fast-action dry yeast
1 tsp (4 g)4 g (1 tsp) sugar
4 cups (500 g)500 g (4 cups) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 tsp (9 g)9 g (1 1/2 tsp) fine salt
2 tbsp (30 ml)30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable or sunflower oil

Method

Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water and leave for 5-10 minutes, until the surface turns foamy and smells of fresh bread.
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, pour in the yeast water and the oil, and bring everything together into a shaggy dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and only faintly tacky — it should spring back when pressed with a finger.
Cover the bowl and leave in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until the dough has doubled and looks airy and domed.
Turn the dough out, divide it into 6 equal pieces and roll each into a tight ball. Cover and rest for 15-20 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
Pat each ball into a disc about 5-6 inches (13-15 cm) across and 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick, pressing with your fingertips and leaving a slightly thicker rim. Rest them for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile heat the oven to 480°F (250°C) with a baking stone or an upturned heavy tray inside for at least 20 minutes.
Slide 2-3 discs onto the hot stone or tray and bake for 8-10 minutes, until they puff up, the tops turn golden in patches and the undersides are spotted brown.
Lift the lepinje onto a clean kitchen towel and wrap them loosely while you bake the rest — the trapped steam keeps the crumb soft.

Regional variants

In Bosnia the same dough is known as somun and is often shaped a little larger and flatter, sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds before baking. Some Serbian home bakers replace part of the water with milk for a softer, richer crumb.

Cook's notes

Do not roll the discs thinner than 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) or they will bake hard instead of pillowy.
A fully preheated oven and hot stone give the sudden lift that makes lepinja puff; a lukewarm oven produces dense bread.
Cool any you are not eating within the hour and wrap in a towel rather than a plastic bag, so the crust stays soft but not soggy.

Serve with

Split warm and filled with pljeskavica or ćevapi, or served alongside kajmak, ajvar and a glass of cold yogurt.

Make ahead and storage

Best eaten the day it is baked; cool completely, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month, then refresh in a hot oven for 3-4 minutes.

Serbian Flatbread (Lepinja)