Mix all the ingredients until you’ve formed a dough. Knead until the dough has softened a little, 8–10 minutes by hand or slightly less if using a stand mixer. The dough may feel a bit wet at the beginning, especially if kneading by hand. It doesn't need to be perfectly smooth and stretchy, but should be easy to work with. Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Tip the dough onto a floured surface. Divide into 6 portions (c. 110 g each). Fold the edges of each portion towards the centre to form tight balls. Use more flour as needed, but not more than strictly necessary. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 15–20 minutes.
Roll the dough balls into circles approximately 12–15 cm (5–6 in) diameter and minimum 1 cm (scant ½ in) thick. Use as much flour as is necessary. Place each portion on a dry kitchen towel. I can fit all the circles on one towel. Cover with another dry kitchen towel and leave to proof for 15 minutes.
Heat a large, thick bottomed frying pan over medium/low heat. Fry each bazlama for 3–4 minutes on each side, one at a time. Adjust the heat to ensure they turn nice and golden but far from burnt during this time.
Serve warm or lukewarm. I prefer it as a sandwich with my favourite fillings. Freeze what you’re not eating the same day.
Tips & notes
These bazlama are slightly thinner than standard, so that they fit a toaster for instant reheating. For a more classic version, feel free to make your bazlama smaller but 1.5–2 cm (2/3 in) thick, or use the same dough to make 4 larger bazlama.On US measurements for baking: I strongly advise always using weight measurements in baking. Volume measures are simply too inaccurate, often leading to disappointing results. Most kitchen scales, even cheap ones, usually have the option to display grams as well as ounces. I therefore don’t provide separate US measures for baking recipes.
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