Serious Eats / Andrew Janjigian
The Appeal of Gata
Gata, a delightful Armenian pastry, is a unique blend of bread and cake that features a rich yeasted dough infused with butter, sugar, Greek yogurt, and egg. This combination results in an incredibly tender texture. The filling—known as khoritz—is crafted from chopped walnuts mixed with flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla; it resembles a streusel topping. With just one layer of filling to work with, assembling this treat is both straightforward and enjoyable.
At its core, gata (also referred to as “kata,” “gatah,” or “katah” depending on the transliteration) is a subtly sweetened Armenian delicacy that can be enjoyed as part of a mezze platter or paired with coffee or tea for dessert.
Varieties of Gata
Gata comes in various forms. Some are reminiscent of croissants; these are made from enriched dough rolled into thin sheets using an “okhlavoo” (a traditional wooden dowel), spread with butter before being rolled up like a carpet and sliced into spirals that bake into flaky layers. Others lean towards the sweeter side and have more cake-like qualities—these can be made using either yeast or baking soda combined with acidic dairy products like yogurt or sour cream (as baking powder was not commonly used in Armenia until recently). This simpler version typically takes the shape of a flattened disc filled with khoritz—a buttery mixture akin to streusel—and often features decorative touches such as dough strips or scored patterns on top before baking.
When I embarked on creating my gata recipe for Serious Eats, I faced the challenge of selecting which style to pursue among so many options. Having no childhood memories associated with gata but rather knowledge gleaned from cookbooks and anecdotes from friends who visited Armenia influenced my decision-making process. I aimed for something sweeter—more akin to coffee cake than savory bread—and sought simplicity in preparation methods. Thus, I opted for walnut khoritz-filled cake utilizing yeasted dough instead.
Crafting Tender Gata Dough
The key to achieving tender gata lies in its buttery composition primarily derived from Greek yogurt’s moisture content. A single egg contributes structure while imparting a light yellow hue; additionally, incorporating some baking soda enhances the crumb’s lightness further. For fermentation purposes, I allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before refrigerating it for at least four hours—or even overnight if preferred—which makes rolling out this sticky mixture much easier when it’s time to shape it.
Shaping Your Gata
One aspect I adore about this gata recipe—beyond its appealing appearance—is how forgiving its shaping process is: After rolling out your dough into an approximately 12-inch round shape and placing your filling at its center you simply fold over the edges until they meet above the filling then gently roll it back into another disc form again! Unlike other intricate preparations such as dumplings—which require considerable practice—the pliable nature allows any imperfections created during pleating remain hidden beneath while still looking beautiful once baked!
For decoration purposes? A simple crisscross pattern made by dragging fork tines across creates lovely grooves atop along with pleats around edges; remember: since heat causes puffing during cooking make sure those designs stand out sharply!
Gata Recipe (Armenian Coffee Cake)
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 10 ounces (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 5 ounces unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 ounces sugar
- 5 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
For Filling:
- 3 ounces walnuts (lightly toasted & coarsely chopped)
- 2½ ounces all-purpose flour
- 2 ounces sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
– 2 ounces unsalted butter (melted) – 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To Finish & Bake: – 1 large egg beaten lightly + pinch salt
Instructions:
-
Prepare Dough: In one bowl whisk together flour/yeast/baking soda/salt while mixing softened butter/sugar vigorously until uniform paste forms then combine both mixtures till cornmeal-like consistency appears (~1–2 mins). Add yogurt/egg stirring till stiff even dough emerges (~about two minutes). Transfer covered bowl resting at room temp ~30 mins followed by chilling minimum four hours up-to sixteen hours.
3 . Make Filling: Combine walnuts/flour/sugar/salt within another medium-sized bowl adding melted-butter/vanilla stirring until clumpy paste forms without dry bits remaining (~30 seconds). Cover/store till assembly time arrives.
4 . Finish Baking: Preheat oven @375°F(190°C); transfer chilled-dough onto floured surface pressing gently forming six-inch circle then roll-out twelve inches thick ensuring no sticking occurs throughout process pinching cracks closed if necessary! Place prepared-filling centrally spreading evenly leaving three-and-a-half inch border around edge folding pleats over toward center sealing tightly before flipping seam-side down rolling again nine inches round transferring onto lined rimmed sheet pan.
5 . Pinch decorative points along outer edge brushing entire surface evenly w/egg wash creating crisscross lines using fork tines spaced apart poking holes through top stopping short reaching fillings below bake ~28–35 mins rotating halfway through until golden brown achieved!
6 . Allow cooling twenty minutes slicing wedges serving warm!
Notes:
- While walnuts are traditional feel free substituting pecans/pistachios/almonds!
- Expect slight cracking when rolling out just pinch smooth where needed!
- Dipping fork tines regularly helps prevent dragging during decoration phase!
- Make ahead? Refrigerate filling max three days allowing return room temp prior usage! Best served day baked but can store covered room temp max twenty-four hours reheating low oven prior serving!
Nutritional Information:
(Per Serving)
Calories: 503
Total Fat: 29g
Carbohydrates: 51g
Protein: 10g
(Nutritional values calculated based on ingredient database estimates.)