Lepinje – Cevapcici bread

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g wheat flour or spelt flour
• 300 ml water, lukewarm
• 50 ml oil
• 8 g salt
• 5 g dry yeast

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

perfect for grilling

Dissolve the yeast in 3 tablespoons of water, cover, and let it activate for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the water and the yeast-water mixture and knead the dough thoroughly with your hands for about 10 minutes. To make the Lepinje nice and fluffy, the dough should be rather soft. Then gradually add the oil until the dough is nice and smooth and glossy. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes (I place 2 pieces on each baking sheet, cover with a thin, cut-open plastic bag, and let rise in the oven at 30°C). Shape the risen dough pieces into balls, dust with flour on all sides, and flatten into round, equal-sized flatbreads. Place these on 2 baking sheets lined with baking paper and let rise for another 10 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to the highest possible temperature (convection oven), as Lepinje are baked briefly but at high heat. After the flatbreads have risen a little, press them back slightly with your fingers and cut into the typical lattice pattern with a sharp, moistened knife. Sprinkle the Lepinje with a little salt water and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the temperature (I used 300°C), being careful not to burn them. They’re done when they’re a nice golden brown on the outside. To keep them nice and soft and develop those typical bread bubbles, cover them with a damp kitchen towel for another 10 minutes while they’re still hot. If you prefer a crispier texture, you can also bake the bread on a pizza stone, which draws out more moisture from the dough and makes them nice and crispy.