Learning Objective
You will learn how to make a wholegrain sourdough flatbread containing aniseed. You will discover how this inclusion, as well as taking the time to eat slowly, can aid digestion.
Makes: | 4 flatbreads |
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Level: | Absolute beginner |
Created Over: | Mix and bake immediately |
Kind of Bake: | Ambient day – French style – mixed in the morning and baked in the evening |
Diversity Score: | 5 |
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Tibetan Monastery Bread – Balep Korkun
I eat too fast. I think it is a habit I got into as a child. I remember wanting nothing more than to get outside, and feeling that time spent sitting at the table was time taken away from play. Even now, I have to consciously make myself slow down. It is an effort, but I have learned that in order to really taste our food, we should savour it; and that in order to truly appreciate our food, we need to slow down and hold on to the moment we are in. The concept of slowing down in this way only really came to me in my early thirties, when I enjoyed a meal in a monastery in Vietnam. The food had been prepared by monks, and it was a real feast. It was everything all at once, both humble and yet splendid, laid out on a low table. We sat on the floor, and the garden appeared on our plates, transformed, and yet recognisable: vibrant salads and vegetables, with spices and toasted sesame seeds; bowls of steaming Pho, with herbs and bamboo shoots; and simple flatbreads, served on a wooden platter.
We were joined by the monks who had grown the food in the monastery gardens and prepared the meal. I sat and ate in grateful acknowledgement. It was so beautiful, and every flavour, every texture, was accentuated by taking the taking time to slow down and appreciate what we were eating.
A part of this meal has always stayed with me, and I began to research the physiological effects of eating more slowly. Taking the time to eat slowly and deliberately means that you chew your bread properly, and this, in turn, sets off a series of actions in the body that lead to better digestion. This means that eating slowly and thoughtfully is part of our philosophy at the School: to gather as we bake, share, appreciate and study bread.
This Balep Korkun recipe isn’t the same flatbread I ate at that magical meal, but flatbreads have been made in monasteries all over the world for hundreds of years and the passion and purpose behind it is here. This recipe is made with 100 per cent wholegrain, and is lightly sour and chewy. For a lighter bread, you can use 250g pizza flour and 250g wholegrain. In Tibet, they call this Tibetan Monastery Bread, Balep Korkun, and the addition of anise makes the flatbreads beautifully fragrant. You can substitute the anise seeds with fennel or sesame seeds, for a change in flavour.
These flatbreads are flat and chewy and best eaten straight away, while still warm, and are a great accompaniment to a curry.
There is also good evidence that aniseed can have a positive influence on both IBS symptoms and mood.
Status of Starter
bubbly, lively first-build starter
DDT
24°C (75°F)
For The Dough
- 500g stoneground, wholegrain flour
- 300g water at 26°C/80F
- 100g bubbly, lively starter that has been refreshed twice
- 30g olive oil or sunflower oil
- 10g sea salt
- 20g anise seeds
- 30g ghee or clarified butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey, to glaze (optional)
Baking Time
20 minutes
Bake At
220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7
Tutorials
Step | Timings |
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Refresh starter (first build) | Day 1 8am |
Refresh starter (second build) | 8pm |
Mix dough | Day 2 8am |
Scale and shape dough, cover and leave on the kitchen table | 8.15am |
Bake | 5-6pm |
Guidance, tips & techniques
Method:
If you are mixing the dough by hand:
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, water, starter, oil and salt by hand. Knead for about 6–8 minutes on the table until the dough is soft and pliable.
If you are using a mixer:
Put the flour, starter, oil and salt into the mixer. Start mixing and add the water slowly: you are looking for a soft, pliable dough. Work the dough until it is elastic and smooth, which should take 6–8 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each one into a ball. Cover each ball with anise seeds, then flatten with your fingers, pressing gently but firmly in the centre of each dough ball until it is about triple its original width (it should be about 17–18cm wide). Brush with the melted ghee.
Cover and leave to prove until supper time. I avoid using clingfilm to cover my dough. Instead, I place the dough in a deep roasting pan brushed with a little olive oil and place a damp tea towel over the top (wring it out well). This will stop them from drying out.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7
Very gently press the dough down once again, slightly deflating them and making them slightly flatter and wider.
Place the tin in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the flatbreads over and bake for a further 10 minutes. The flatbreads should be a light, golden colour.
While the flatbreads are still warm, brush with a little more ghee and drizzle with the honey (if using) to glaze. Pile on a plate and serve straight away.
![making pasta dough](https://thesourdoughschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2021-04-pasta-Masters-8-330x495.jpg)
![monastery bread](https://thesourdoughschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Mixer-spiral-1-50-330x496.jpg)
![](https://thesourdoughschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Mixer-spiral-1-41-330x496.jpg)
Learning Outcome
You will understand how to make this sourdough flatbread and how it might be good for your digestive system.