Nan-e-Barbari, famous Persian flatbread, is known as thickest flatbread. Following the theme of Karen from Karen’s Kitchen Stories, the Middle Eastern bread, I tried my hands on this lovely Nan-e-Barbari bread recipe.
I have no idea of the origin of the flatbread. Was it Greece where Pita Bread is a common staple or is it India with its famous Amritsari Naan.
Flatbreads are extremely popular across the globe, however, this Iranian flatbread steals the heart.
This unique Persian bread is crisp and chewy. The name “Nan-E-Barbari in itself sounds so royal, isn’t it?
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Let’s know little more about this Bread
Barbari is an Iranian term used for Hazara people living in Khorasan. This bread was first baked by Hazaras. Though Hazaras are no longer known as Barbarians this bread is still referred as Nan-e-Barbari.
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Quick Notes
Tin Size | 14x10 |
Oven Temp | 220°C |
Baking Time | 20 minutes |
MW Convection Temp | 200°C |
Baking Time | 20 minutes |
Demold Instructions | immediately |
Cooling Time | 10 minutes |
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Nan-e-Barbari Bread Recipe
In a jar, take around 50 ml lukewarm water. Add sugar and yeast to it. Stir it and let it rest until yeast froths. The water amount taken to dissolve yeast is from the total water amount mentioned in the ingredients.
For this recipe, I took 450 gm of organic wheat maida from Organic Tattva. In case organic flour is not available, you can use regular refined flour as well. Add salt to flour and add activated yeast water. Start kneading the dough by adding a little water at a time.
Initially, the dough will be sticky. Take the dough on lightly floured surface. Add oil to the dough and continue to knead for 3-4 minutes. With this kneading, the dough will become soft, smooth and non-sticky. Now place the dough into a greased bowl and cover it with Kitchen towel.
Keep the bowl at some warm and dry place until dough doubles in volume.
Making the glaze for Nan-e-Barbari
Enter your text here...Till the time our dough is resting, let prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan take refined flour, sugar, butter, and water. Mix everything well. Now cook the prepared solution for about 2 min. keep stirring the solution to avoid any lumps. Switch off the flame and let the solution cool down.
Time taken by the dough to be double depends upon temperature. Warmer the weather, lesser the time will be. At my place, the temperature was between 24 °C to 29°C. That is why my dough doubled in 35 minutes.
The moment dough becomes double in volume, take it out from the bowl and punch it to release the air incorporated. This punching not only takes the air out but also helps to release that pungent yeast smell.
After punching, divide the dough into two equal portions. This 450 gm flour will yield 2 Nan-e-Barbari bread. Take one portion and cover the other with the kitchen towel for a while.
Lightly dust the counter with flour and roll the dough into a rectangular sheet, approximately 13 inches long and 5 inches wide. Transfer it to a greased baking tray.
Meanwhile, keep the Oven for preheating at 220°C.
Use your fingers to poke down the length of the loaf, forming 5 deep ridges lengthwise as shown in the picture. To make these indentations you can use back of a knife or spatula. Ensure that the indentations are deep enough, otherwise, the bread will puff up.
Rub half of the prepared flour paste on the dough. Sprinkle Nigella seeds on it. Gently press down the seeds. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
Repeat the same process with other portion of the dough.
Now bake the loaves in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the bread becomes golden brown. Once baked, transfer the baked bread to the cooling rack. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, slice the bread and serve with your choice of gravy. This bread is known as the thickest flatbread. It has the rustic crust with a soft and chewy crumb. You can store this bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
|Read this interesting recipe: Irish Soda bread
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Persian Flatbread Nan-e-Barbari # Bread Bakers
Nan-e-Barbari is an amazing classic Persian flatbread recipe. This barbari bread recipe is crisp from outside and soft and airy from the inside. This Iranian flatbread recipe is easy to make and can be done quickly in the oven.
Ingredients
For Dough
For Glaze
Instructions
Notes
2. This is a tried and tested recipe. Hence don’t ask for the substitutions.
3. For this recipe, I have used Active dry yeast. You can replace it with Instant yeast in the same amount.
4. I have used Nigella seeds. In case you don’t have, you can use black sesame seeds.
5. There is no substitute for yeast.
6. Baking time can vary oven to oven. So bake the bread until it turns golden brown.
Wonderful, tasty, appetising recipe. Tried it.
Thanks much for your feedback.
I made this today and it was absolutely delicious and really simple. The three of us are raving about it and I’m thinking of all the dishes it would go with. We had it with homemade hummus, but it would be great with soft cheese, curry, tagine, soup…..
thank you so much X
Glad to know that you loved the recipe.
Thank you so much for the positive feedback on the recipe.
Happy Baking!
Made this naan e barabari …tastes awesome ..thanks Sonia for nice recipe .
Thanks for your kind words, Anju.
Soniaji – With which dish – can we have this Nan?
Hello Lopa,
You can serve it with any gravy.
Thanks
Wow …Lovely !
Thanks a lot, Divya.
Cheers!!
Is the baking tray greased?
Yes Swati, I brushed the tray with butter.
Happy Baking!
Sonia
Hello Sonia, Its a beautiful bread with actually a royal name 🙂 Loved your very detailed instructions. This is definitely worth giving a try.
Thanks, Namita.
this is such a great bread, Sonia ! and lovely colour too .. how do u get that wonderful, inviting golden hue on top of all ur breads without an egg wash ? pls do share..
Awww. that is such a lovely feedback, I am humbled. Thanks, Kalyani.
Regards
Sonia
Sonia, your nan-e-barbari looks amazing – golden crust and beautiful crumb. Lovely clicks and you are tempting me to make this bread again some time soon.
Thanks, much Pavani.
Regards
Sonia
This is absolutely one of my favorite flatbreads from the middle east. Yours is absolutely perfect. Thanks for joining us!
Thanks much Karen. Thanks for the encouragement.
Regards
Sonia
That glaze gives this bread such a perfect golden color. YUM
Thanks a bunch, Wendy.
Regards
Sonia