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Traditional Persian Barbari Bread Recipe

Hafedh Garfa
Why settle for store-bought when you can make this authentic charm of traditional Nan-e Barbari right into your kitchen? It is made from a lean dough with a touch of sugar and olive oil for a more soft and flavorful bread. See the FAQs above for how to store it, and the recipe notes below for water temperature adjustments.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Bake Time 15 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Course flatbread, White bread, Yeast Bread
Cuisine Middle Eastern, Persian
Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients
  

For the Dough

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (340ml) water, lukewarm
  • 1 tablespoon (13 grams) sugar
  • 3 teaspoons (10 grams) active or instant dry yeast
  • 3 and 1/2 cups (490 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons (10 grams) salt
  • 3 tablespoons (45 grams) olive oil

For the Glaze

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons water, boil

For Topping

  • ⅛ cup (20 grams) sesame seeds
  • ⅛ cup (28 grams) nigella seeds

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the yeast: Whisk the lukewarm water, sugar and yeast in liquid measuring cup. Cover and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes until the yeast is active. Grease a large bowl and set aside.
  • Make the dough: Pour the yeast mixture, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and Combine on low speed for 3 minutes, until the dough forms and becomes shaggy. (If the dough is too firm, add more water. If the dough is too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour.) If you don't have a stand mixer, simply add the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula for 3-4 minutes until you achieve the same consistency.
  • Knead the dough: Set the mixer on medium speed, add the olive oil and knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until it is smooth and slightly sticky to the finger. Alternatively, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 4-6 minutes until smooth.
  • 1st Rise: Shape the dough into a ball and place in the prepared bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm environment, or until doubled in size. (Tip: For the warm environment on particularly cold days, place the dough in a turned-off oven and put a bowl filled with 1 cup of boiling water in the bottom of the oven. This creates an ideal warm environment for the dough to rise.)
  • Line two 16-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
  • Shape the dough: When the dough doubles in size, transfer it to a floured surface without releasing the air and divide it into two equal pieces. (Just eyeball it–you don't need to be ideal!) Shape each into a ball and sprinkle with a little flour. On a lightly floured work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin and work on one ball at a time. Gently flatten the dough, then roll it out into an oblong shape, about 14x6 inches (37x16 cm) and 1/2-inch thick. Place the shaped bread on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough ball.
  • 2nd Rise: Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm environment for 60-90 minutes.
  • When the dough is ready, take it out of the oven and preheat the oven to 484 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees Celsius).
  • Prepare the Glaze: Whisk the baking soda, flour, olive oil and boiling water in a small saucepan until creamy.
  • Dimple, glaze and top the dough: Pour half of the glaze over the top of the bread and brush it all over with a pastry brush. Using your fingers and no thumbs, and from the right and ends on the left, dimple the flat bread lengthwise to create parallel lines while leaving a 1/2-inch space between them. (Refer to the pictures above as a guide for you.) Sprinkle half of sesame and nigella seeds on the top. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  • Bake: Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. It's best to bake Nan-e barbari bread one at a time and in the middle position of the oven.

Notes

Special Tools (affiliate links):  Stand Mixer, or Steel or Glass Mixing Bowls with Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon |Liquid Measuring Cups | Measuring Cups and SPOONS or Kitchen Scale | Rolling Pin| Small Saucepan | 16-inch Baking Pans | Pastry Brush.
Water: If the temperature is hot, more than 77°F (25°C), use room temperature water instead of lukewarm water to prevent the bread from drying out quickly.
Yeast: You can use instant, fresh, or active dry yeast. In the case of fresh yeast, keep in mind to triple the amount of yeast. 
Flour: You can use all purpose flour or bread flour, both work in this recipe. Bread flour produces a more chewier bread.
The temperature when I make this recipe: 50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius).