Şabanözü Bazlaması

Çankırı Province’s Şabanözü district is associated with a traditional bakery product that must be produced within this geographical boundary. It was officially registered as a geographical indication by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office on 22 December 2021. The product is prepared using special-purpose wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt, and is baked on a metal tray over wood fire, a characteristic that has led to its local name of "sac ekmeği" (tray bread).

Product Characteristics

This flatbread bakes slowly due to the base of the tray being coated before baking with a mixture of wood ash and water, giving the product a soft and fully cooked texture. The general physical characteristics of the baked Şabanözü bazlaması are as follows:

• Diameter: 20 to 25 cm
• Weight: Approximately 300 to 320 grams
• Thickness: 1.5 to 2 cm

The product has ancient origins and is consumed at nearly every meal as an integral part of Şabanözü culinary culture.

Production Method

The production of Şabanözü bazlaması follows traditional methods.

• Three to five hours before baking, the bottom of the oval-shaped tray is coated with a mixture of wood ash and water to ensure the bread bakes slowly without burning.
• Fifty kilograms of special-purpose wheat flour, 30 to 35 liters of water, 200 to 250 grams of salt, and 200 grams of yeast are mixed in a dough trough to form the dough.
• The prepared dough is covered and left to ferment for 1 to 2 hours.
• During fermentation, the ash-coated tray is placed over the oven, and a fire is lit using thin pieces of wood and pine cones (pir).
• Once fermentation is complete, the dough is divided into small portions weighing approximately 350 grams each, locally called pazı.
• The pazı portions are manually stretched and flattened on a round wooden board known as "el yaslıağacı" and laid out on a cloth.
• The flattened bazlamas are placed on the tray in groups of three and frequently turned to prevent burning and ensure even cooking on both sides.
• To ensure complete cooking of the center and edges, each bazlama is individually turned on a three-legged iron stand called "üç ayak", which holds a bed of wood embers beneath it.
• The baked bazlamas are laid out on a cloth to cool and then covered with another cloth.
• After cooling, they are packaged in food-safe materials for sale.

Geographical Boundary

The entire production process of Şabanözü bazlaması must take place within the geographical boundaries of Şabanözü District, Çankırı Province. The product’s historical significance and its central role in local culinary culture necessitate that all production and processing steps occur exclusively within this region.

Monitoring

To ensure compliance with the registered characteristics, a monitoring body has been established under the coordination of the Şabanözü Municipality. This body consists of three members: one expert each from the Şabanözü Municipality, the Şabanözü District Governor’s Office, and the Şabanözü District National Education Directorate.

Monitoring inspections are conducted annually; additional inspections may be carried out as needed or in response to complaints. The elements checked during inspections include:

• Appropriateness of ingredients used in production,
• Compliance with the specified production method,
• Conformity of the product’s physical characteristics to registered standards,
• Proper use of the term "Şabanözü Bazlaması" and the geographical indication emblem.

The monitoring body may seek expert support or procure services from public or private institutions during inspections. The registering institution, the Şabanözü Municipality, is responsible for initiating legal proceedings to protect these rights.