Taboon - Palestinian Flatbread

Taboon is a leavened Palestinian Flatbread baked in a clay oven called Taboon (or tannur) and traditionally served with Musakhan.

This soft and chewy flatbread is also perfect for making wraps, dipping into soups, or serving with dips and mezze.

Taboon Bread is very simple yet incredibly delicious. It is traditionally cooked in a clay oven over rocks heated by a fire.

This Palestinian flatbread is soft with a slight crunch and chewiness and is very delicious especially when dipped in olive oil and Za'atar.

We love freshly baked homemade bread recipes, from Homemade Sandwich Bread to Homemade Wheat Tortilla Bread, Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread, Manakish with Za'atar and Cheese, and Banana Bread.

And there is nothing more satisfying than the aroma of freshly made Taboon Bread, totally addictive!

What is Taboon Bread?

Taboon Bread is a Levantine flatbread traditionally baked in a clay oven called Taboon.

It is similar to Pita bread, or tandoor bread such as Roghni Naan or Middle Eastern Lavash Bread.

Also, it is the traditional bread to serve with delicious Sumac Chicken - Musakhan.

Taboon is also the name of a type of dome-shaped clay oven, dating back to biblical times.

They can be either an underground oven or an above ground.

These communal ovens were once used by women in Palestinian villages to bake flatbreads called "Taboon Bread".

As it is almost impossible to have these ancient ovens at home, we will have to use our domestic oven and a baking tray filled with pebbles from our backyard.

The pebbles are necessary in order to create these indentations and bumps that are the hallmark of taboon bread.

However, you can skip them and create these dimples by pressing the dough with your fingertips.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Flour - I use %60 white strong bread flour and %40 wholemeal strong bread flour. Strong bread flour has a higher protein content than “regular” flour and is perfect for a chewier crust. However, you can replace it with plain (all-purpose flour) if you want and still have excellent results.

• Yeast - This recipe calls for fast-action dry yeast. You can substitute it with fresh yeast. The rising times might vary depending on the type of yeast you are using. 

• Olive oil - It adds flavor and a soft texture to the dough.

• Salt - It regulates the yeast and adds flavor, you won't have tasty bread without salt.

• Water - It feeds the yeast and gives the moisture the bread needs. Make sure the temperature of the water is about 40° C (105° F) for best results.

How to Make Taboon - Palestinian Flatbread?

You might find daunting the idea of making your own bread at home.

The good thing is that Taboon Bread is straightforward to make when you follow a few simple steps:

Making the Dough

Add the water, sugar, and yeast to a large bowl, and stir. 

Leave it for 10 minutes until it forms bubbles then add the salt, olive oil, and flour. 

Mix until forming a soft and sticky dough.

Depending on the type of flour or the humidity of the room, you might need less flour than the recipe calls for. 

Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth but slightly sticking to your hands.

Add a little bit of extra flour if it's too sticky.

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it has doubled its size.

Shaping the Taboon Bread

Gather some pebbles, and wash them thoroughly with water and dish soap. 

Dry them using a cloth and place them on a baking dish. 

Preheat the oven to 220° C (430° F). 

While the oven is heating, place the baking dish/tray with pebbles in the oven.

If not using pebbles, line the baking dish with silicon paper to avoid the dough sticking.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, sprinkle some flour on top of the dough balls, and cover with a clean kitchen cloth.

Leave them to rest for another 15 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, set the dough on a floured work surface.

Dust the dough ball with more flour, then flatten and stretch it gently with your hands until you have a roughly 20 cm (8") Ø circle. 

Baking

When the pebbles are really hot, carefully transfer the dough circle directly over the pebbles.

Carefully stretch it out to form a more circular shape if necessary.

If not using pebbles, simply place the dough on a heated baking paper lined tray and use your fingers to make dimples all over the bread.

Bake the bread until golden, for about 5 minutes. Flip it using oven mitts and bake for another 2 minutes.

Remove the Taboon bread from the oven and place it on a plate lined with a clean kitchen cloth. 

Cover the flatbread to keep warm and proceed to stretch another dough ball while the pebbles are reheating.

Repeat the process until all the dough balls are baked.

Top Tips From the Chef

• The rising times might vary depending on the type of yeast you are using and the temperature of the room. 

• Make sure the temperature of the water is about 40° C (105° F) for best results.

• Leave the dough balls to rest for another 15 minutes on a lightly floured surface. This step is necessary to be able to stretch and shape the dough balls much easier.

• Wrap the baked taboon bread in clean kitchen cloths as soon as they come out of the oven. That would keep them warm and also help to soften them while you are baking the rest.

How to Serve Taboon Bread?

There are many ways to enjoy these delicious Palestinian flatbreads.

You can serve them with this delicious citrusy Palestinian Sumac Chicken dish Musakhan.

You can make wraps or gyros with Turkish Chicken Shish Kebab or Joojeh Kabab (Persian Chicken Kebab), Greek Cucumber Salad, and Mediterranean Hummus Dip.

Or serve them with delicious and healthy Mediterranean dips & mezes such as Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme), Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze), and Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feta Dip.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more scrumptious flatbread recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this traditional Palestinian Flatbread "Taboon" as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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