These ancient flatbreads, made from sprouted wheat berries, dried apricots and salt, are the earliest bread made by man. The pulverized sprouted grain forms a cohesive mat holding the bread together. When it is baking it has one of the freshest aromas I've ever experienced from my kitchen! Like the ancient sprouted breads mentioned in the Bible, these 'pitti' have a wonderful natural sweetness and a chewy texture. Perfect for nibbling while enjoying the outdoors, but best served warm with goat cheese and apricot jam. 6 cups hard wheat berries, spring water for soaking, 1 1/2 cups dried apricots (can mix with raisins), and 1 Tbs salt. It takes several days to sprout the berries, then all dry ingredients are pulverized (or put into a food processor), kneaded, and then left to 'cure' for an hour. After forming the patties let them 'cure' again for 30 minutes before baking them at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.
This recipe is one of many from the cookbook "Flatbreads and Flavors" byJeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. They told one particularly poignant story of traveling through the Chinese Pamirs, at the the confluence of the Gez and Consiver rivers. It was one of the most beautiful landscapes they had ever seen - snow-covered mountains, a vast sweep of sand, and grasses rustling in the wind. They stopped to make some bicycle repairs and a boy brought the couple to his mother's home, a clean-swept single room, with folded rugs and blankets piled against one wall, and a hole in the ceiling above the cook fire. The woman invited them in for tea and flatbread, and extended hospitality for the evening.
She said she was Kirghiz, the name of her people. Her husband had recently died and several men from the nearest village fifteen miles away came to conduct a grieving ceremony and say prayers. The authors said they couldn't understand the words, but the feelings and meaning of the ritual were universal..."Oh, he's gone and gone from me forever. He was a very good man; he is in God's hands." Her two young children were nearby. They'd brought in the goats and two camels from grazing. A simple meal was served.
The next morning as the authors packed up to continue on their journey she handed them fresh flatbreads for their journey.
