Balkan Flatbread (Lepinja)

1. 1Stir the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar together in a large bowl and leave for 5 minutes, until a thin foam appears on the surface. This confirms the yeast is awake; if nothing happens, start again with fresher yeast.
2. 2Add the bread flour and salt, then mix until no dry flour remains. Knead in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes, adding the olive oil halfway through, until the dough is smooth, springy and only slightly tacky.
3. 3Cover the bowl and leave the dough in a warm place for 60–75 minutes, until doubled in size. A properly risen dough should wobble when the bowl is nudged rather than feeling dense.
4. 4Heat the oven to 240°C, or as high as it will go, with a baking tray or pizza stone inside. The fierce heat gives the bread its puff and keeps the centre soft instead of dry.
5. 5Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and divide it into four equal pieces. Shape each into a round, then flatten them to roughly 15 cm across and 2 cm thick; do not roll them thin, because lepinja should have some weight to it.
6. 6Transfer the rounds to a sheet of baking paper and dust them lightly with flour. Press a shallow crosshatch into the top of each with your fingertips, stopping short of cutting through the dough, so the breads bake evenly and tear easily.
7. 7Slide the breads and baking paper on to the hot tray and bake for 10–14 minutes, turning the tray halfway, until puffed and golden with a firm-looking top. They should sound hollow when tapped underneath, but remain soft when gently squeezed.
8. 8Wrap the hot breads in a clean tea towel for 10 minutes before serving. The trapped steam softens the crust and gives you the characteristic tender, tearable crumb.

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