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These Bosnian lepinje are soft, airy, and flavorful, with yogurt giving the dough a particularly nice texture. Authentic Balkan Soul Food

Preparation time 2 hours
Making time 9 minutes
Servings 10-12 medium lepinje
Course Bread, side dish
Country / Region Bosnia

Ingredients

  • 1 kg flour
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 300 ml milk
  • 300 ml water
  • 1 cube fresh yeast (about 42 g) or 2 packets dry yeast
  • 10 heaped tablespoons creamy yogurt
  • nigella seeds or sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Instructions Link to heading

  1. Warm the milk just enough so it is lukewarm, then let the yeast rise in it for about 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and the milk with the activated yeast.
  3. Add the yogurt and water, then mix the dough with a spoon or, even better, by hand.
  4. The dough should be sticky. Do not add more flour than the recipe calls for.
  5. Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size. You can also leave it in the refrigerator overnight. If you do, use a large bowl so the dough has room to expand. If you are in a hurry, let it rise for about 1.5 to 2 hours in a warm place.
  6. Heat the oven together with the baking tray or baking stone to the maximum temperature, around 300 °C if your oven allows it.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. With well-oiled hands, tear off pieces of roughly equal size. Divide the dough into ~ 10 smaller or ~ 5 larger pieces.
  8. Do not knead each piece like ordinary bread. First shape it into a ball, then roll it in flour and, using your fingertips, gently stretch it into a flat lepinja about the thickness of a finger. Do not use a rolling pin.
  9. Place the lepinje on baking paper and let them rise a little more while the oven heats. Use a spatula, string, the blunt side of a knife, or a firm piece of cardboard to make square marks on the top.
  10. Optionally, lightly spray with water and sprinkle with nigella seeds or sesame seeds. You can also simply dust them with flour.
  11. Once the oven is fully heated, bake the first batch. Do not leave the oven open for too long so it does not lose heat.
  12. Bake for about 9 minutes, until the lepinje puff up nicely and turn golden yellow.
  13. As soon as they are done, remove them from the oven and wrap them in a kitchen towel.
Somuni
Somuni
Somuni
Somuni
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and the milk with the activated yeast.
Somuni
Add the yogurt and water, then mix the dough with a spoon or, even better, by hand.
Somuni
The dough should be sticky. Do not add more flour than the recipe calls for.
Somuni
Somuni
Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size.
Somuni
Somuni
Somuni
Use a spatula, string, the blunt side of a knife, or a firm piece of cardboard to make square marks on the top.
Somuni
Place the lepinje on baking paper and let them rise a little more while the oven heats.
Somuni
Bake for about 9 minutes, until the lepinje puff up nicely and turn golden yellow.
Somuni
Somun & Ćevapčići: A love story told in a pan. This is the soul of Balkan street food.
Somuni
Somuni

Notes Link to heading

There are many versions of lepinje / somuni, some are made with only water, some with milk, and I like this version especially because of the yogurt.

They are best eaten warm, fresh from the oven, and wrapped in a towel so they stay soft and airy.

Vesela kuharija 😋👌

Somun for the soul and focaccia for the heart. My kind of afternoon.

Somun for the soul and focaccia for the heart. My kind of afternoon. 😋 🫓