Lepinja (Balkan Flatbread)

Lepinja, or Somun, is a soft and fluffy bread from the Balkans in Southeastern Europe that makes the perfect accompaniment to any meal. 

Lepinja, also known as Somun, is a popular street food in the Balkans region, particularly Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia. It is sometimes known as lepinje za cevapi, because it is most commonly served with cevapi grilled sausages.

It is a soft and light bread with a very mild flavor, so no matter what you serve it with, it takes on the flavors of the dish, adding a wonderful, soft and comforting texture.

Triple Rise Flatbread

What makes lepinja very unique is the triple rise. This creates a very tender and soft bread that looks like pita, but has a texture that more closely resembles a soft focaccia. Using milk instead of water also contributes to the creamy flavor and texture of this bread.

Lepinja: A Daily Bread

This is a daily bread in the Balkans, and is definitely one of those breads that is best the day it is made. Hot out of the oven, or even later that day, its soft and creamy texture are captivating.

Lepinja will stay good for 2 or 3 days in an airtight container on the counter. But after that, it will starts to dry out. That is why our recipe only makes a few individual serving breads.

We’re glad it is such a simple and hands-off bread to make, so it is an easy one to make often!

The trick to Making Lepinja

While it is sometimes called a flatbread, lepinja is fluffy and can be a bit more lofty than you would typically think of for a flatbread.

Lepinja starts off baking at a very high temperature, like pita bread.

If your oven temperature is hot enough and you are lucky, your lepinja might even get an air pocket that creates a slightly hollowed center pocket (or simply a separation), like pitas.

Unfortunately, ours didn’t create a pocket. But the bread still tasted wonderful and great for splitting with a knife and stuffing with our fillings.

It is also fantastic served with Ajvar, a roasted red pepper and eggplant spread from the Balkans. Once you try this combo, you might never go back to your standard bread and butter!

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4.86 from 7 votes

Lepinja (Balkan Flatbread)

Yield: 6 breads

Prep Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Eastern European

Servings: 6 people

Author: Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp milk, warmed to 80-90⁰F
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
• 1 c water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

• Place the warm milk in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let it stand until softened and foamy, 5 min.
• Add the water and sugar to the milk and yeast. Mix to combine.
• Add the flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough comes together. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes by hand (or 2-3 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook), until the dough is smooth but still slightly sticky.
• Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm and draft-free place until doubled, roughly 1 hour.
• Once the dough has risen, punch it down. Re-cover it with the damp tea towel and let rise a second time, until doubled, roughly 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough a second time and divide it into 6 portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Place the balls onto a lightly floured surface, cover them with the damp tea towel, and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
• After resting, flatten the balls into discs that are ½ inch thick. Place the flattened rounds on to a floured baking sheet. Cover them with the damp tea towel and let them rise for 20 minutes.
• While the bread is rising this final time, preheat your oven to 450⁰F.
• Once risen, uncover the dough, place the baking sheet into oven, and bake for 5-7 minutes, until the breads are just starting to turn golden.
• Lower the heat to 300⁰F and bake for another 7-10 minutes, until evenly golden.
• Remove the lepinja from oven and wrap them in a (dry) tea towel for 10 minutes to soften the crust.
• Slice the lepinja open to serve, if desired. Serve warm.
• The bread will keep on the counter for 2-3 days.

Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere

Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.

www.curiouscuisiniere.com/about/