Author Notes: Malawach (or Malawah) is a Yemeni Jewish flatbread typically eaten for breakfast; enjoy it savory with zhug, grated tomato, and hard boiled eggs; or make it sweet with honey drizzled across the top.
The dough is time consuming to prep, but make this recipe or double it, and store them in the freezer– the pancakes can go straight from the freezer to the grill pan and be ready within 3 minutes.
0Malawach (Yemenite Jewish Pancakes)
Print RecipeIngredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pastry flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
Instructions
1- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt.
2-Slowly pour in the warm water, and use your hand to stir and mix the dough until it fully pulls away from the bowl. If the dough is not completely combined, stir in 1/2 tablespoon of water at a time, mixing until the dough comes together.
3-Transfer the dough to a clean countertop and knead until it is smooth and elastic, roughly 5 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
4- Uncover the dough and with a knife or pastry scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces; keep the dough covered with plastic wrap while you flatten each ball out.
5- Prepare a sheet tray by lining it with parchment paper and set it aside. On a clean countertop, rub 1 tablespoon of butter across the worksurface. Place one piece of dough at a time on the buttered countertop and use a rolling pin to shape the dough into roughly an 8-inch circle (you should not need to use flour to roll the dough).
6- Take 1 tablespoon of butter and use your fingers to dollop pieces of it across the surface of the dough; starting from the center, with both hands use your fingers to press and slide them across the dough, stretching it outwards, creating a large 12 x 14-inch rectangle. The dough should be thin enough to see through to the countertop, it’s okay if a few tears occur.
7- If creating a filling variation (see below for suggestions), sprinkle 2 tablespoon across the surface of the buttered dough now.
8- Starting from the widest edge of the rectangle, fold over the dough in 1-inch increments until a long rope is created. Coil the rope into a pinwheel and place on the prepared sheet tray. Cover the dough with the plastic wrap previously used, and roll the remaining pieces of dough. Cover the sheet tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight, or until thoroughly chilled.
9- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Use a rolling pin to flatten the pinwheels into 8 1/2-inch circles. Stack the flattened dough in between pieces of parchment paper, and place inside a freezer storage bag. Freeze the dough for a minimum of 45 minutes, and store up to 1 month.
10- To cook, lightly butter a large non-stick or cast iron pan and place over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add a frozen piece of flattened dough to the pan and turn the stove to medium. (The pan should not be smoking.) Cook the dough 1 to 2 minutes per side until it is golden brown. The malawach is best enjoyed fresh off the pan; if you plan to serve all the flatbread, place them in an oven at 200 degrees to keep warm until ready to serve.
11- Filling variations: nigella seeds; everything spice; sauteed greens (could be leftovers, like chard, kale, or spinach); fresh chopped herbs like oregano, rosemary, or thyme; sauteed garlic or shallots;
sliced scallions; sharp, hard cheese of your choice, crumbled or shredded
