Barbari Bread
Persian flatbread with a crunchy seeded crust, a golden shiny top from the glaze and a soft fluffy inside. Flour, yeast and basic ingredients, baked on a normal tray after two hours of rising.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 364kcal
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 ⅓ cups water (320 ml)
- 4 cups plain white flour / all-purpose flour (500 g)
- ¼ oz fast action dried yeast (7 grams)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
For the Topping
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoon Sesame seeds or Nigella seeds
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, olive oil, and yeast.
- Add warm water gradually, stirring to form a sticky dough. Knead the dough by hand or with a mixer until it becomes smooth and elastic—this will take about 8–10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour or until doubled in size.
Prepare the Glaze
- In a small saucepan, combine flour, water, olive oil, and baking soda.
- Cook over low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens into a smooth paste. Set aside to cool.
Shape the Dough
- Once the dough has risen, divide it into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, cover them, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
- Take one ball and gently flatten it into an oval or rectangular shape on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Each piece should be about 12 inches long and 5 inches wide.
- Brush the glaze thinly over the whole surface of the dough.
- Dip your fingers in the glaze and press four or five lines down the length of the loaf with your fingertips, firmly but without cutting through the dough.
- Sprinkle on sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds
Second Rise and Bake the Bread
- Cover the shaped and topped dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rise for another hour. This second rise helps the bread develop a light, airy texture.
- Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Bake the bread for 15 to 20 minutes, until it's deep golden with a crisp crust and the base sounds hollow when tapped.
Video
Notes
- Weigh the flour if you can. Bread flour (strong white bread flour in the UK) gives the best chew; all-purpose works but the loaf is denser.
- The dough is sticky on purpose. Don't knead in extra flour, use oiled hands or a scraper. Extra flour is the usual cause of a dense, flat loaf.
- The glaze (roomal) needs the baking soda, which is what makes the crust brown and shine. Brush it on thinly; a thick coat bakes pale.
- Glaze first, then press the grooves with glazed fingertips, four or five lines, no thumbs, firmly but not through the dough. Press them again before baking if they've flattened during the second rise.
- For extra steam and a crisper crust, put a pan of water on the oven floor during baking.
- For a darker, blistered crust, bake at 230 to 250° C (450 to 480° F) on a preheated stone or upturned tray for 10 to 12 minutes, with a 30-minute second rise.
- If the dough isn't rising, check the water was warm rather than hot and the yeast is fresh. A cold kitchen slows the rise, so move the bowl somewhere warmer.
- Keeps 2 days at room temperature in a paper bag or cloth, not the fridge. Freeze cut into pieces for up to 2 months and reheat from frozen at 180° C (350° F) for 5 to 7 minutes with a sprinkle of water.
- The dough can be made the night before and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours; bring it to room temperature for an hour before shaping.
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 873mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg