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Khubz taboon
Khubz taboon: Palestinian dimpled flatbread baked on hot stones, adapted for a home oven
In Palestinian villages the taboon is a small clay oven lined with hot pebbles, and the bread baked on them comes out round, chewy and pocked with dimples where the stones pressed in. Women still bake it at dawn in the Galilee and around Nablus, and it is the bread that wraps musakhan, gets dipped in olive oil and za'atar, and is torn for breakfast with labneh. At home, a tray of clean pebbles or a very hot baking steel gets you close. Common mistake: rolling it too thin, which makes a cracker; it should be about 1 cm thick. Chef's tip: a little wholemeal flour and an overnight rest in the fridge give the nutty, slightly sour taste of village bread.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz strong white bread flour, 3 ½ oz wholemeal flour, ⅛ oz dried active yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt. Add 1 ½ cups warm water and 2 tbsp olive oil and knead for 10 minutes into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave to rise for 1½ hours, until doubled, or in the fridge overnight for more flavour.
90 minStep 3: Put a baking tray covered with clean, dry, oven-safe pebbles (or a pizza stone or steel) on the top shelf and heat the oven to its maximum, 475°F or more, for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 4: Divide the dough into 6 balls and rest them for 15 minutes. Flatten each on a floured surface with your fingers to a round about 20 cm across and 1 cm thick.
15 minStep 5: Lay one bread at a time directly on the hot pebbles or stone and bake for 3–4 minutes, until puffed in places, freckled brown underneath and dimpled. Use the grill for the last minute if the top is pale.
4 minStep 6: Stack the breads in a clean tea towel as they come out so they stay soft. Eat warm; they freeze well.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khubz taboon take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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