Kazakh Shelpek Flatbreads
Golden, soft, simple, very tasty, and budget-friendly. The dough for Kazakh shelpek flatbreads is made with flour and milk without eggs. You can keep them plain, as in the recipe, or add a little sugar. Serve them with soups, instead of bread, or with tea.
Updated : 02 February, 2026
Easy
About 1 hour.
Ingredients
400 grams
Wheat flour
200 milliliters
Milk
100 milliliters
Vegetable oil
30 grams
Butter
1 teaspoon
Apple cider vinegar
0.2 grams
Baking soda
0.2 grams
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to fry Kazakh shelpek flatbreads? It’s quick and easy. Prepare the ingredients. Use top-grade flour. If you like, add a little sugar to the dough. You can replace baking soda with the same amount of baking powder - no vinegar needed then. Apple cider vinegar can be replaced with regular table vinegar, or with lemon juice.
Step 2
Pour the milk into a saucepan, add butter, and warm everything until the butter melts. The milk should be warm, not hot.
Step 3
Sift about 350 g flour (about 2 3/4 cups) into a bowl together with salt. Sifting adds air, making the flatbreads more tender.
Step 4
Make a well in the flour. Add the baking soda, pour in the vinegar, and immediately mix quickly. Many people “activate” baking soda in a spoon first, but then the gas forms outside the dough and doesn’t lighten it properly. It works better when the reaction happens right in the dough. Make a well again.
Step 5
Pour the warm milk-butter mixture into the flour. Add the remaining flour as needed and knead a smooth, elastic dough.
Step 6
Wrap the dough in a bag or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. During this time, gluten develops and the dough becomes more elastic and easy to work with.
Step 7
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
Step 8
Roll each piece on a floured surface into thin flatbreads.
Step 9
It’s best to roll out all the flatbreads at once and stack them with napkins between so they don’t stick. Shake off excess flour before frying, otherwise it may burn in the pan.
Step 10
Heat vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet. The oil should fully cover the bottom. Add one shelpek and, using a spatula, rotate it clockwise for a few seconds until it browns. Flip and continue frying until airy bubbles appear.
Step 11
Transfer the finished milk shelpeks to paper towels to absorb excess oil, then serve. Enjoy!
Author note
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