Proziaki — soda flatbreads from Podkarpacie with garlic butter

Put 400 g all-purpose flour, wheat type 550, all 4 g baking soda and 5 g salt in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly, breaking up any soda lumps so it spreads evenly through the flour. Separately weigh 20 g flour for dusting. Do not add that entire extra portion to the bowl and do not replace baking soda with baking powder.

Weigh 250 g plain kefir with 2% fat and mix in a second bowl with the whole size M egg, about 50 g without the shell. Kefir should be a plain sour cultured milk drink without added sugar or flavorings, not fresh milk. Do not calculate the amount from the package volume: dairy is weighed in this recipe. Beat with a fork until yolk and white combine.

Pour all the kefir and egg mixture into the flour. Combine first with a spoon, then knead by hand for about 2–3 minutes, just until the dry flour comes together into a smooth soft dough. It may stick slightly to your fingers; do not knead for a long time as for yeast bread. Cover the bowl and rest for 15 minutes. Do not add unmeasured flour to the dough.

While the dough rests, weigh 8 g peeled fresh garlic and crush to a fine paste. Mix with all 100 g soft butter and 1 g salt, carefully scraping the bowl sides. Do not melt the butter and do not add herbs, oil or extra salt. Set this butter aside for serving, not for greasing the skillet.

Lightly dust the worktop and rolling pin with part of the weighed 20 g flour. Turn out all the dough and roll into a rectangle about 24 × 28 cm, about 1 cm thick. If it sticks, use a little more flour from that same supply; do not work the whole extra amount into the dough. Even thickness matters most so all breads cook similarly. Unused flour stays outside the recipe.

Use a knife or dough scraper to divide the rectangle into 3 equal columns and 4 rows, making 12 pieces about 8 × 7 cm. Do not cut circles and do not discard edges; all the dough is used. Gently separate the pieces and shake off loose surface flour so it does not burn in the skillet. Do not flatten again and do not knead each piece into a tight ball.

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet about 26 cm across over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes. Do not add oil or the prepared butter and do not let the empty skillet smoke. Have a spatula and a rack ready for the cooked breads. Cook 3 batches of 4 pieces, with space for easy turning and slight rising.

Place 4 breads in the skillet and cook for about 10–12 minutes in total, turning roughly every 2 minutes. The surface should gradually develop browned spots and the sides rise slightly. If they darken almost immediately, lower the heat: a deeply browned base does not mean the center is cooked. Cook the remaining 2 batches the same way. Between batches, let the skillet cool slightly before removing loose burnt flour.

Break open the first cooked bread and check for a soft airy center without wet raw dough. If needed, cook the batch for a few more minutes over lower heat instead of scorching the outside more. Place cooked breads on a rack for about 5 minutes to release steam; do not seal them hot in a container. This short rest can take place while the following batches cook.

Divide the 12 proziaki into 6 servings of 2, including the bread broken open for checking. Divide all the garlic butter among the servings and spread over the still-warm breads. Do not add sauce or garnish. After cooling, keep leftover breads and butter separately, tightly covered in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days. Gently reheat breads in a dry skillet; do not leave butter with raw garlic out of the refrigerator overnight.