Sourdough Barbari Bread
Barbari bread is a traditional Persian flatbread with an extra crispy crust from a special glaze as well as tasty sesame and nigella seeds. Try this version with the added flavors of sourdough fermentation and khorasan wheat or turkey red whole grain flours.
- Prep time
- 40 min
- Cook time
- 16 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- Dough
- 400 g all purpose flour (3 cups, rounded)
- 100 g whole grain flour, test batches made with turkey red whole grain flour and khorasan whole grain flour (3/4 cup +1 Tbsp)
- 340 g water (1 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 100 g sourdough starter (1/3 cup)
- 13 g olive oil (1 Tbsp)
- 11 g salt (2 tsp salt)
- Glaze
- 4 tbsp water (60 grams)
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour (15 grams)
- 1 tsp baking soda (6 grams)
- 1 tsp sugar (4 grams)
- Topping
- 2 tbsp nigella seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Mix the dough ingredients in a large bowl and cover. The dough should not be shaggy-wet but doesn't have to be dry enough to knead by hand. If using a straight-walled container, mark the level of the dough to track expansion.
- 2
Let the dough rest 15 minutes, then do a round of stretching and folding. After another rest of 20-30 minutes, do a second round of stretching and folding of the dough.
- 3
Cover and let the dough rise until it has expanded by 60-80%. My dough rose for about 4 hours in a 75°F kitchen. If you want a longer rise, either keep the dough colder or use less sourdough starter. For example, my second batch had only 70 grams starter and needed 6 hours to rise the same amount.
- 4
Divide the dough in two pieces on a lightly floured work surface and pre-shape the two pieces into balls or ovals. Cover and rest the dough for about 20 minutes.
- 5
Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 6
Stretch and flatten the dough into two long ovals a little less than 1" thick. If the dough feels loose or uneven, do an envelope fold on the long side, then press it wider again. Otherwise, simply press the dough into a long oval shape. Transfer to the parchment paper.
- 7
With damp fingertips, press lines the length of the dough. Don't cut all the way through the dough.
- 8
Cover the dough either with oiled plastic wrap, a damp cloth, or by putting the baking sheet inside a large plastic bag--I use two tall glasses on either end of the baking sheet to tent the plastic bag away from the dough.
- 9
Let the dough proof 60-90 minutes depending on the ambient temperature. Both batches of dough rose again for about 80 minutes in a 75°F kitchen.
- 10
About 20 minutes before the end of the final proof, begin preheating your oven to 450°F and mix up the dough glaze.
- 11
Brush the dough with the glaze, then re-dimple the lines in the dough. Sprinkle on the optional seeds.
- 12
Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the bread has the color you desire.
- 13
Enjoy the same day for optimal crispiness of the crust, or re-toast on subsequent days.