Gata is a very popular Armenian sweet bread enjoyed not only in Armenia but also in the vast Armenian diaspora communities around the world, including Australia.
There are many varieties of this very popular bread and Anushka, a 2019 MasterChef finalist, shared her favorite gata bread recipes.
While gata is eaten all year round, it’s a favorite sweet that embellishes Armenian New Year and Christmas bountiful tables.
Since New Year and Armenian Christmas (traditionally celebrated on January 6), are only days away, Armenian households in Australia are already baking their favorite gata to be enjoyed by family and friends during the festive season.
“In every culture,” Anushka says, “food is integral part of the culture and self-preservation and in Australia our Armenian culture, in terms of food, has been heavily underrepresented. I really would like to showcase what Armenian culture is and what food is.”
“Gata recipes were passed down from generation to generation and it’s our duty today as Armenian mums and dads to pass these recipes to our generation and preserve them as part of the culture”, says Anushka.
Gata is a very simple dish and hope you enjoy it over New Year and Christmas or any other time you crave for a sweet pastry with your coffee or tea.
Anushka’s Gata recipe
Dough: 500ml plain Greek yogurt
1 egg lightly beaten
200g unsalted butter at room temperature
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp baking soda
5-6 cups plain flour.
Mix baking soda and salt with yogurt then add the egg. Add the flour little by little until soft dough forms. Divide the dough into 2 portions and cover with cling film and rest for about 10 minutes. While the dough is resting make the “xoriz” filling.
Plain Xoriz (filling):
150g unsalted butter or clarifies butter
1 cup sugar
1tsp vanilla bean paste
1.5 cup plain flour
Method: beat sugar and butter together until it’s somewhat white and fluffy. Add vanilla and flour. Mix with hand until it makes sticky mixture when pressed together. This is the base of the xoriz. You can add any other spices; nuts or dried fruits. I used 4 tbs walnuts, 0.5 tsp cinnamon and 2 tbs raisins for second Gata.
