Turkish Thin Flatbread (Yufka)
Yufka Say it: YOOF-kah
Yufka is Turkey’s paper-thin wheat flatbread, made from little more than flour, water, and salt. It is cooked quickly on a dry, very hot griddle, which leaves it speckled with pale and toasted spots while staying soft and pliable. Fresh yufka is eaten alongside meals, wrapped around fillings, or layered into börek; when dried, it keeps for months. Its appeal is in the contrast between simple dough and the skill of rolling it almost transparently thin.
Turkish Thin Flatbread (Yufka)
Yufka
Pronounced YOOF-kah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Method
In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Add the water gradually while mixing with your hand until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes, until it is smooth, firm, and no longer sticky. If it feels dry, add water a teaspoon at a time; if sticky, dust with a little flour.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, until relaxed and easy to stretch.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 oz (120 g) each, and roll each into a ball. Keep them covered while you work.
On a well-floured surface, roll one ball into a very thin round, about 16 to 18 inches (40 to 45 cm) across, dusting underneath and on top so it does not stick. The yufka should be thin enough to see light through it.
Heat a large dry skillet or saç over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Do not add oil.
Lay one yufka in the hot pan and cook for 45 to 60 seconds, until bubbles form and the underside has pale brown spots. Flip carefully and cook for 30 to 45 seconds more, until dry and spotty but still soft.
Transfer the cooked yufka to a clean cloth and wrap it to keep it soft. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking the flatbreads between cloths, then serve warm or let cool.
Regional variants
Fresh yufka is soft and eaten as bread; in Turkey, large thin sheets are also dried as kuru yufka and later softened with water for börek or wraps.
Cook's notes
- Resting the dough is essential: it relaxes the gluten so the yufka rolls thinner without tearing.
- Cook over medium-high heat; too hot scorches the bread before the center dries, while too low makes it leathery.
- Stack warm yufka under a dry cloth so the steam softens them; reheat briefly in a dry skillet before serving.
Serve with
Serve with soups, stews, grilled meat, mezze, or use as a wrap for cheese and herbs.
Make ahead and storage
Best the day it is made. Store cooled yufka wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days and reheat in a dry skillet.
