Shelpek is a thin, round, crispy deep-fried flatbread of Kazakh culture, made for celebrations, memorials and Fridays, served with tea. Unlike the puffy baursak (which is a round ball), shelpek is a flat disc, fried thin and crisp. It is a festive ritual bread, made in large batches for events, and its presence at the table signals celebration. The deep-frying gives it a golden, blistered surface and a shatteringly crisp texture.
Golden, blistered, shatteringly crisp, with a neutral, faintly yeasty flavour, the surface oily and crunchy. Eaten warm with tea, it is crisp, light and the festive bread of the Kazakh table.
The dough is a simple flour, water (sometimes milk), salt and a little sugar or yeast, rested, then rolled very thin into discs and deep-fried. The thin dough puffs slightly and blisters in the hot oil, giving the crisp, golden surface. The discs must be rolled thin, or they are doughy rather than crisp. The deep-frying is quick, about a minute per side.
Variations
A sweet version adds more sugar. Some use milk instead of water for a richer dough.
On the Palate
Where Shelpek sits in the Kazakh flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 12How it's made
6 steps · 25 min
- 18 min
Mix 400g flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp yeast, 1 egg and 200ml warm water to a soft dough; rest 1 hour.
- 28 min
Divide into 12 balls; roll each into a 2mm-thin disc; prick with a fork to prevent puffing.
Watch outRoll each disc down to a thin 2mm and prick with a fork — thin dough crisps golden, thick stays doughy, and the fork holes stop it puffing into a balloon.
- 38 min
Heat oil to 180C; fry the discs one at a time, 1 minute per side, until golden and crisp.
Watch outFry at 180°C about a minute a side until golden and crisp — the fry is quick, so watch for the color and pull them before they darken.
- 44 min
Drain on paper.
- 52 min
Cool slightly.
- 63 min
Serve warm with tea, stacked.
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