Lavash substitute

Substitutes for Lavash with ratios

1. 2Homemade lavash, rolled and dry-fried

   Close match

   Makes 4 to 6 sheets: 2 cups flour, ¾ cup warm water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp oil

   The honest best answer, because lavash is one of the simplest breads in the world and does not need yeast or resting time to work.

   What changes

   Best for

   durum and wraps, lahmacun rolls, serving warm with kebabs, any recipe where lavash is named specifically

   Knead for five minutes, rest twenty minutes covered, divide into balls, roll each one as thin as you possibly can, then cook in a dry hot pan for about forty-five seconds a side until it puffs in spots and shows pale brown freckles. Stack them under a clean towel as they come off so the steam keeps them pliable. This tastes better than any packet substitute and costs almost nothing.

2. 3Pocketless pita or Greek-style flatbread

   Different texture

   Use the same amount

   Soft round flatbreads from the same part of the world, sold in most supermarkets alongside standard pocket pita.

   What changes

   Best for

   wrapping kebabs and grilled meat, scooping dips, serving alongside a meze spread, quick flatbread pizzas

   Thicker and chewier than lavash with a more developed bready flavour, which is pleasant but means it will not roll into a tight slim durum without splitting; expect a fatter, softer wrap. Warm it first and roll it while it is still hot and flexible. Standard pocket pita works too, but split it open and use one layer, or use the pocket instead of rolling.

3. 4Plain naan or Persian barbari, thin varieties

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount

   Soft leavened flatbreads that share lavash's role at the table if not its thinness.

   What changes

   Best for

   serving warm with stews and grilled meat, scooping and tearing, flatbread bases for baked toppings

   Naan is enriched with yogurt or milk and often brushed with ghee, so it tastes distinctly richer and slightly tangy, and it is far too puffy and stretchy to roll tightly around a filling; it will burst. Use it where lavash is bread on the table rather than a wrapper. Thin Persian barbari or sangak is closer in spirit and much better suited to tearing and scooping.

4. 5Phyllo dough, for baked and layered uses

   Different texture

   Use 2 to 3 buttered sheets of phyllo for every sheet of lavash

   For the recipes that use dried or thin lavash as a pastry layer in a baked dish rather than as a wrap.

   What changes

   Best for

   layered borek-style bakes, crisp baked casseroles, anywhere lavash is meant to go crunchy in the oven

   Phyllo is far thinner and much more fragile, and it shatters rather than snapping, so a bake made with it is lighter and flakier than the sturdy chew you get from lavash. Brush each sheet with butter or oil and stack two or three to match one lavash layer. It is completely wrong for wrapping anything, since it tears the moment it meets a wet filling.

5. 6Crispbread or thin crackers, for dried lavash

   Close match

   By weight, to taste

   For the other lavash on the shelf: the brittle, cracker-like sheets sold as lavash crackers or crisp lavash.

   What changes

   Best for

   cheese boards, serving with dips, crumbling over salads or soups

   Scandinavian-style crispbread, water crackers and thin seeded flatbread crackers all do the same job of a neutral crunchy vehicle. They tend to be saltier and more seasoned than plain dried lavash, and thicker, so they crunch loudly rather than snapping thin. You can also make dried lavash from soft lavash or tortillas: brush with oil, cut into shards and bake at 180C for eight to ten minutes.