Serbian Flatbread (Lepinja)
White bread flour, fresh yeast and sugar come together in this vegetarian — 65 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Crumble the fresh yeast into a bowl with the sugar and the warm milk (around 38C, just above body temperature), stir to dissolve and let it stand for about 10 minutes until it turns frothy.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then make a well in the centre and pour in the activated yeast mixture, the warm water and the oil.
- Mix to a shaggy dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead firmly for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and elastic.
- Return the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until roughly doubled in size.
- Knock back the dough and divide it into 4 equal pieces, shaping each into a ball and then pressing or rolling into a round disc about 1.5 cm thick; cover and let them prove for a further 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 220C and place a baking tray inside to get hot. Score a shallow cross-hatch on top of each round and dust lightly with flour.
- Bake the flatbreads on the preheated tray for 12 to 15 minutes until puffed and golden, then wrap in a clean towel as they cool to keep the crust soft and serve warm.
You'll use: Oven · Large pot · Whisk · Baking tray
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Serbian Flatbread (Lepinja) take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 7 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Serbian Flatbread (Lepinja) vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Serbian Flatbread (Lepinja) is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Komplet lepinja - Lepinja sa sve.jpg (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.