Gluten-free lavosh crackers {V, GF, Paleo}

Crackly thin and sprinkled with a generous helping of almonds, gluten-free lavosh crackers go beautifully with any Middle Eastern appetizers and Middle Eastern dips.

Memories of Lavash Bread

As I walk into my favourite Middle Eastern bakery in Beer Sheva, my nostrils are immediately filled with the smell of toasted sesame and almonds.

All around me are mounds of treats: sweets drizzled with so much honey they are sticking to the platter, baklava bursting with ground pistachios, warm, fluffy pitas just freshly taken out of the oven.

But I usually walk past all that, my mind focused on one thing: the lavash bread.

What are Lavash crackers?

Whether it is spelled lavash bread or lavosh bread, this Middle Eastern bread is essentially a yeast-free work of art.

Lavash is an Armenian bread that is made without yeast, and sprinkled with sesame seeds and zaatar (if you are unable to locate it, Iraqi or bedouin coal-fired pitas are a great substitute).

For those abstaining from commercial yeast due to a Candida-friendly diet, lavash is a godsend: it's a soft, delicious creation that is fragrant with all the familiar scents of bread, but without any of the associated stomach pains.

When to serve Lavash crackers?

I love serving lavash bread during al-fresco dinners with family. Letting everyone rip into the large pieces of bread, tearing out a part for themselves, crumbs flying everywhere.

The look of joy and satisfaction as you see the bread pulling apart.

The gleeful abandon that only comes from doing something with your hands, from breaking the rules a bit.

But for when company comes over for drinks, I fink that the traditional lavash bread can be a bit much.

The crumbs I embrace on my parents' porch, where the pigeons and neighbourhood cats roam freely, are not so welcome of the floor of my little Montreal apartment.

Nor am I able to eat gluten anymore, another sad loss in the great scheme of dietary restrictions.

Adapting Lavash bread into gluten free lavosh crackers

So instead, for this holiday season, I baked a batch of gluten-free almond lavosh crackers.

Similar to their bready counterparts, I prefer to bake my lavosh crackers as one long circle that is later broken into shards; it brings just a bit of the same devil-may-care attitude to my holiday dinner parties as it did to those al-fresco family lunches.

I top my gluten free lavash crackers with almonds in place of sesame seeds, but you can do either.

But if you prefer your look a bit neater, you can cut the crackers before baking.

What's special about these gluten free lavosh crackers?

These gluten free crackers are:

• Gluten free
• Thin
• Crispy
• Delicious - with some salt and seasonings
• Crunchy
• Easy to make
• Ready in under 30 minutes
• Customizable
• Authentic Middle Eastern food
• Vegan (just omit the egg wash)

Ingredients

• gluten free flour mix - Gluten free flour mixes have come a long way since the rise of gluten free baking! King Arthur makes a lovely gluten free 1:1 blend. Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour, or the Thomas Keller Cup4Cup blend is also recommended. The best approach is finding one you like, ensuring it has xanthan gum in the ingredients, and trying it out! If your favourite GF blend doesn't contain xanthan gum or psyllium husk, add ½ teaspoon of either one
• salt
• sugar
• warm water - make sure it is warm though. You can use boiled water with a bit of cold water, a 50/50 ratio.
• olive oil - this adds a vegan fat to the dough
• egg - you can also use a vegan egg replacer like JUST egg or flax eggs.
• slivered almonds - used for topping these gluten free lavosh crackers. You can also use sesame seeds and zaatar instead.

See recipe card for exact quantities.

How to make gluten-free lavosh crackers

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line two trays with baking parchment. Flour a working area.

Make gluten free dough mix

In a bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar and stir with a fork stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine warm water, oil and egg and add to the flour mix. Using a fork, mix these until combined fully.

Knead gently in bowl for about 30 seconds, until dough comes together.

Roll into a thin large lavosh bread

Lightly flour your working surface. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll these out with the rolling pin (if you are looking for more uniform, even crackers, cut these into any desired cracker shape - traditional lavosh crackers are bigger, to allow for more scooping).

Once you have your desired shapes, sprinkle with slivered almonds and brush with an egg wash.

Bake gluten-free lavash crackers

Bake until golden in a preheated 350F oven. The smaller your pieces, the quicker they will cook through; a whole round will take 15-20 minutes, while small rectangles require 10-15 minutes. If you cooked a whole round, break it into desired pieces as soon as it's cool enough to handle.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container. Serve with a Middle Eastern appetizer platter or your favorite middle eastern dips.

What to serve with lavash crackers?

Crackly thin and sprinkled with a generous helping of almonds, these gluten-free almond lavosh crackers go beautifully with labaneh, hummus and all manner of Middle Eastern dips like baba ghanoush or za'aluk. They won't give anyone a stomach ache, and will look beautiful on your holiday dinner party table.

For a non middle eastern dip, i like to serve it with cowboy caviar dip.

And sometimes, when no one is watching, I take a piece of a lavosh cracker in my hand and break it, letting the crumbs fall on the floor... For old times' sake.

FAQ

Recipe

Gluten-free lavosh crackers with almonds

Ksenia Prints

Crackly thin and sprinkled with a generous helping of almonds, these gluten-free almond lavosh crackers go beautifully with labaneh, hummus and all manner of Middle Eastern spreads.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Bread

Cuisine armenian, Israeli, Middle Eastern

Servings 10 crackers

Calories 163 kcal

Equipment

• Baking sheet
• Rolling Pin
• Pastry brush

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups gluten free flour blend if your favourite GF blend doesn't contain xanthan gum or psyllium husk, add ½ teaspoon of either one
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ c warm water
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 egg or egg replacer
• 2 TBs slivered almonds
• Egg wash 1 egg mixed with a bit of water

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line two trays with baking parchment. Flour a working area.
• In a bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar and stir with a fork stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine warm water, oil and egg and add to the flour mix. Using a fork, mix these until combined fully.
• Knead gently in bowl for about 30 seconds, until dough comes together.
• Lightly flour your working surface. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll these out with the rolling pin (if you are looking for more uniform, even crackers, cut these into any desired cracker shape - traditional lavosh crackers are bigger, to allow for more scooping). Once you have your desired shapes, sprinkle with slivered almonds and brush with an egg wash.
• Bake until golden in a preheated 350F oven. The smaller your pieces, the quicker they will cook through; a whole round will take 15-20 minutes, while small rectangles require 10-15 minutes. If you cooked a whole round, break it into desired pieces as soon as it's cool enough to handle.
• Cool completely and store in an airtight container. Serve with a Middle Eastern appetizer platter.

Notes

Instead of almonds, you can also top these gluten free crackers with sesame seeds and zaatar for a more traditional topping.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 240mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 24IUCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

Keyword almonds, bread, crackers, fall, gluten-free, olive oil, sesame seeds, spring, summer, vegan, winter, zaatar

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