Bishi
Բիշի·(bee-shee)
Zartnir (The Armenian Morning)
If you ask ten Armenian grandmothers for their bishi recipe, you get ten different answers. But walk into a working-class kitchen in Lori or Gyumri on a busy weekday morning, and you’ll find the real secret to everyday fried dough: matzoon. This is the master recipe for the diaspora—a brilliant, yeast-free hack utilizing the chemical reaction between fermented yogurt and baking soda. In under thirty minutes, you get gorgeous, golden disks that shatter on the outside and steam on the inside, tasting exactly like the homeland.
Before you start
The dough rest is flexible.
While a 15-minute rest is standard and necessary for relaxing the gluten, the dough can safely sit covered at room temperature for up to an hour while you prepare the rest of your breakfast table.
Ingredients
- plain whole milk yogurt or kefir1 cup
- baking soda1 tsp
- large egg1 large
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- unbleached all-purpose flour2 3/4 cup
- neutral oil4 cup
- powdered sugar1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Activate the dough.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yogurt and baking soda. Stir well and let it sit for exactly 60 seconds until the mixture begins to bubble and foam.
- 02
Build the dough.
Whisk the egg, 2 tablespoons of oil, sugar, and salt into the foaming yogurt. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time with a wooden spoon until too stiff to mix, then turn out onto a clean surface and knead for a few minutes until exceedingly soft and slightly tacky.
- 03
Rest and divide.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten. Lightly oil your hands and work surface—do not use raw flour, which will burn in the fryer—and divide the dough into ten to twelve smooth balls.
- 04
Heat the frying oil.
Pour 1 1/2 to 2 inches of neutral frying oil into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F. If you lack a thermometer, dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil; steady, rapid bubbles mean it is ready.
- 05
Shape and fry.
Flatten a dough ball into a 1/4-inch thick, 4-inch wide disk. Slip it carefully into the hot oil, frying 90 seconds to 2 minutes on the first side until deeply golden, then flip and fry for another minute or two. Do not crowd the pan.
- 06
Drain and serve.
Move the fried bishi to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain. Dust aggressively with powdered sugar while still piping hot.
Notes
Build a traditional table.
To eat bishi the authentic way, balance the rich fried dough with a spread of salty feta or Lori cheese, thin slices of cured basturma, fresh Persian cucumbers, and small glasses of strong black tea.
Watch the oil temperature.
Frying below 350°F forces the dough to absorb grease, yielding a heavy, cloying bread. Wait 30 seconds between batches so the oil can recover its heat.
Source the right dairy.
True Armenian matzoon is tart and pourable. Standard American Greek yogurt is too dry; seek out unstrained whole-milk yogurt or plain kefir for the proper hydration and authentic homeland tang.
From Cook Armenian in America.