Konya bread recipe from 8,600 years ago, implemented in Türkiye

In Konya in central Turkey, inspired by “8,600-year-old bread” found in the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük, where the grains were identified through scientific analysis, chef Ulaş Tekerkaya baked bread from peas, barley, wheat and broad beans.

During excavations carried out two years ago in Çatalhöyük, located in Çumra District, a carbonized spongy find (BITAM) was analyzed at the Center for Science and Technology Research and Applications of Necmettin Erbakan University. Analysis showed that this find, dating to approximately 6,600 BC, was “leavened bread”.

After this exciting discovery, both in Turkey and abroad, chef Ulaş Tekerkaya, who was curious about the taste of the “8,600-year-old bread”, wanted to bring it back to life today.

Previously, Tekerkaya, with the support of the excavation team and scientists from Necmettin Erbakan University, published a work titled “Neolithic Age: 9000-Year-Old Culinary Culture”, in which he collected most of the grains from the region to recreate bread.

According to the analysis published by the excavation team in “Çatalhöyük Area 66 Neolithic Period Bread Findings Analysis and Evaluation”, Tekerkaya worked to produce bread containing various grains. He carried out numerous attempts to recreate the form of bread from 9,000 years ago.

Using a volcanic grinding stone called a hand mill to grind the grains, Tekerkaya baked the dough (balls of dough) over a wood fire at the Meram City and Cultural Museum.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Tekerkaya stated that his work on Çatalhöyük cuisine won a world award in gastronomy. Reflecting on preparing a menu to revive the region’s 9,000-year-old culinary culture, Tekerkaya said: “After discovering bread, I was very excited to make it. After about a year of testing, the bread achieved its final result. The form is as follows. Initially, it was too hard and had a bitter taste, but after many attempts I modified the recipe and baked a tasty product. It is very tasty and filling.

Tekerkaya thanked Professor Ali Umut Türkcan, head of the excavation team, stating: “They shared the results of scientific analyses. I believe that this bread, like the flatbreads baked to this day in Anatolia, will contribute to passing on healthy and nutritious bread to future generations. The bread contains peas, barley, wheat and field beans.

Professor Yasin Ramazan Eker, deputy director of BITAM, noted that the center can determine the chemical and physical structure of archaeological samples. Eker explained that they contributed to the work by using advanced analytical equipment at BITAM, determining the chemical and physical structure of the bread sample.

Salih Kavak, a lecturer at Gaziantep University who participated in the analysis of the find, stated that legumes contained in bread accelerate fermentation. He added that the bread contained barley, wheat, peas and field beans and that academic research was ongoing.

Petek Zülal Güleç, one of those who tasted the bread, noted that the variety of grains in the bread was striking, saying, “It is nothing like today’s bread. It doesn’t need honey, butter or jam. It is very delicious. We see that our ancestors always knew what was best.”

The head of the excavation team, Professor Ali Umut Türkcan, said in a statement on March 5, 2024: “A small, round, spongy find in the corner of the oven was thoroughly documented and identified as bread. Radiocarbon studies conducted at the TÜBITAK Marmara Research Center showed that our sample dates back to approximately 6,600 BC.”