Baked Herbed Onion Flatbread
This Herbed Onion Flatbread, called korzh, is one of the oldest forms of bread in Ukrainian cuisine, developed long before enclosed ovens became widespread. This onion flatbread has a mild, savory flavor with a gentle sweetness from sautéed onions and the warmth of a thick pancake. Traditionally, korzhi (plural) are skillet– or griddle-baked flatbreads (also called oschypok – torn bread, lepeshka, or pogach – flatbread). They can be plain, stuffed, savory, or sweet, leavened with yeast or baking soda, and made with kefir.
History of Flatbreads in Ukraine
The history of korzhi dates to ancient times. Ukraine’s fertile black earth, called chernozem, produced abundant wheat, barley, millet, rye, and buckwheat. These grains provided life-sustaining nutrition for generations. For most of the first millennium, korzhi were the primary bread made from coarsely ground grains mixed with water and sometimes fermented with wild starters. They were simple to make and required no special equipment. They were cooked on any hot, flat surface: on hearths or heated stones, on clay slabs, on metal or ceramic pans, or even over an open fire. Korzhi were valued for quick preparation, fuel efficiency, and practicality, especially in agrarian communities.
For Ukrainians, a meal is not a meal without bread. Ukrainians have revered breads of all shapes and sizes since pagan times. Ancient flatbreads, always round and symbolizing the sun, agricultural cycles, fertility, prosperity, and hospitality, became a symbol of Ukrainian cuisine and a talisman against evil forces. Bread, whether loaves or flatbreads, is a part of the Ukrainian soul.
During Kievan Rus (9th-13th centuries CE), when masonry ovens came into use, flatbreads transitioned into round, relatively low-profile loaves called –palianytsia, which became an essential element of the Ukrainian daily diet. These breads, like early korzhi, were made from dough leavened with wild yeast and baked next to an open fire in brick ovens, characteristically had a scorched bottom and domed top. Hence, the name palianytsia is based on the verb to burn, pality. https://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/palianytsia-rustic-bread-ukraine/
Korzhi, a reliable and nutritious food, however, remained the primary bread in rural communities even after loaf bread, whether baked at home or later commercially, became available. Historically, korzhi were prepared when there wasn’t enough time or enough flour to bake full bread loaves.
Initially, korzhi were made from simple ingredients: wheat flour, water, yeast, and a little salt. Now, other flours, commercial leaveners (baking soda or baking powder with kefir), and other ingredients are incorporated into the dough. A quick-rise yeast dough or soda and kefir dough makes perfect flatbread. Some bakers add seeds, herbs, and spices to the dough to create their own original variations of this legendary bread, as I did here.
Unlike palianytsia, a korzh is prepared from lightly leavened yeast dough, more like a very thick sponge, and is baked slowly on the stovetop in a covered, ungreased pan. Korzhi are denser than oven-baked bread, more like a thick pancake. But they pack a nutritional wallop that lasts throughout the day, which explains why they continue to be baked in rural areas.
Babunia, my maternal grandmother, baked 12 large loaves weekly to feed a seven-person household in Ukraine in the 1930s. Nonetheless, bread occasionally ran out toward the end of the week. So, since purchased bread was expensive, she either borrowed a loaf from a neighbor, which she repaid with her own loaf later, or quickly baked korzhi in a skillet to fill the gap until oven-baked loaves were ready. According to Mama, Babunia’s flatbreads, assembled from pantry items and home-grown herbs, were different every time.
Not having Babunia’s recipe and only knowing about her flatbreads from family lore, I combined several recipes to create this herbed onion flatbread using the simple ingredients she probably had on hand.
This is a yeast-dough recipe, since Babunia loved baking yeast breads. But if there was no yeast, I am sure Babunia baked korzhi with baking soda and kefir on occasion. Whether yeast-dough or soda-and-kefir dough, korzhi (about 1 inch (2-3 cm) thick) are dry-fried in a well-seasoned skillet. Korzhi can be plain or stuffed with various ingredients. In this recipe, rather than placing the sautéed onions into the center of the dough as a filling. I fold the onions throughout the dough, which adds moistness and umami.
Flavors of the Herbed Onion Flatbread
Historically, flatbread precedes raised loaves. Korzhi provided the foundation for Ukrainian bread-baking culture. They survived millennia of baking trends, including periods of government restrictions on home baking. Their popularity continues today through a revived interest in heritage baking, supported by culinary research and folk festivals. Their endurance reflects resilience and adaptability rather than culinary plainness. To this day, flatbread traditions remain strongest in rural communities and the Carpathian regions, although urban dwellers with small kitchens have discovered their speedy preparation, practicality, and a welcome alternative to commercial bread.
Baking secrets for a perfect skillet-baked flatbread:
Because this flatbread is made with a few ingredients, choose high-quality flour, milk, sugar, herbs, and spices, which will be reflected in the taste.
Choose the fresh herbs you like. I chose parsley, thyme, and rosemary, but dill, chives, marjoram, and oregano also add great flavor.
And since no eggs are added to the dough, an option is to add a pinch of turmeric to make the korzhi sunny. Turmeric, kurkuma in Ukrainian, is often added to eggless baked goods to make them appear eggy.
Let the dough rise until it doubles in a warm place, between 75°F and 80°F (24°C and 27°C).
Bake in a warm skillet on low heat so the flatbread can fully rise and plump, forming a golden crust on the bottom before turning over.
Stack baked flatbread on a plate. Cover with a kitchen towel to steam as they cool.
Even though the delicious aroma drives you crazy, resist eating korzhi until cool to the touch.
Folk practice dictates that korzhi should be torn rather than cut, which is why in some regions of Ukraine they are called oschypok (torn bread). Tradition also forbids finishing a piece uneaten by someone else, which reportedly takes away that person’s strength, or throwing away an uneaten piece, which, like all bread in Ukraine, is deemed sacred.
Skillet baking this Herbed Onion Flatbread is deeply satisfying. The aroma of fresh onion bread permeates the house. Following the suggestions above, the resulting korzhi will be fragrant and tasty. Their golden-brown crust has a rustic appeal, but when torn open, the umami-rich interior is soft, slightly sweet, fragrant with herbs, and moist, with occasional onion pieces.
Warm, chewy, and bursting with naturally sweet onion flavor throughout, this flatbread can be eaten as baked to accompany a meal. It is great with first courses, meat, vegetables, and salads. It also makes an outstanding breakfast or snack, slathered with butter, cheese, honey, or sour cream, or rubbed with garlic or fried onions. This Herbed Onion Flatbread adds personality to a meal and strikes the perfect balance between savory indulgence and homemade comfort.
Herbed Onion Flatbread, adapted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pXfkVGBKYQ&list=PL81q734_4mWCoXkYr2GM2ApCLLZBj4yum&index=28
2 medium onions
2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil
3 teaspoons minced fresh herbs— cook’s choice –I used parsley, thyme, rosemary
6 ounces (170 g) whole milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package (7 g ) active dry yeast
7.1 ounces (200 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon turmeric (oprtional)
Preparing onion filling: Dice two medium onions into ½-inch (1.27 cm) pieces and fry in a skillet over low heat until translucent and soft. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Mince the herbs and stir them into the onions.
Sautéed onions with herbs
Preparing sponge: Measure flour into a medium bowl and reserve. In a medium saucepan, warm milk and sugar to 110ºF (43º C). Remove the milk mixture from the heat, check the temperature, and stir in the yeast and 4 tablespoons of the reserved flour. Whisk until smooth and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 30 minutes until the mixture becomes bubbly.
Risen sponge
Preparing dough: Stir in salt, turmeric, and enough of the remaining flour to achieve the consistency of thick sour cream. (You may not need all the flour.) With a spatula, incorporate the added ingredients. Then, mix in the cooled onion-herb mixture until evenly distributed. Smooth dough surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof for 45-60 minutes until doubled.
Korzh dough, doubled and ready to bake
When ready to bake, warm a non-stick skillet (preferred) or well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan on medium heat for 15 minutes. Divide the dough (which will be loose) into 2 portions. Pour 1 portion of dough into the center of the warmed skillet, shaping it into a round with a spatula.
Baking Herbed Onion Flatbread on a dry skillet
Cover and bake for 5 minutes on medium heat. Then reduce the heat to low and bake for another 15 minutes, periodically uncovering to check that the dough has risen and the surface is matte. Then, flip the flatbread to the other side and bake for another 15 minutes until golden.
Move baked flatbreads to a plate, stack one atop another, and cover with a kitchen towel to steam and cool. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 2, 8-inch (20.3 cm) diameter flatbreads. Serves 4.
Cooled and ready to eat
Photo credits: All photos: Slava Johnson
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