Say hello to your new favorite bread! Barbari is a popular Iranian flatbread with distinct grooves along the bread. It pulls apart along the grooves, making it easy to tear and share with loved ones.
It is believed to have originated from Khorasan (an eastern province of Iran), and today you will find it in every Iranian bakery. It's very quick to make, only requiring one rise, and is so delicious when it's hot and fresh!
Why this Recipe Works
The great thing about this bread is it only requires one rise, making it a less arduous process to make than, say, my favorite challah! The dough is also deceptively simple, requiring just flour, water, yeast, and honey.
It's important to make sure your active dry yeast foams so that this bread will be a success. Active dry yeast is perfect for quick bread recipes that can be made in one day. The foaming tells you that the yeast is producing the gas needed to help the bread rise when baked.
The bread is super soft and fluffy yet lightly crunchy on the outside. The glaze brushed on the bread helps create this texture. It's a simple combination of flour, water, and honey that helps give the bread a great crunch and warm, golden color.
Barbari Ingredients
Active dry yeast - These are dehydrated yeast granules that come in small sachets or you can buy them in bulk. Make sure you're using active dry, NOT instant yeast.
Honey - Use your usual go-to honey, or agave syrup if making this recipe vegan.
Flour - Use unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Salt - Use sea salt or kosher salt for this recipe.
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How to Make this Recipe
Begin by mixing together the yeast, honey, and 1 ⅔ cups of lukewarm water. You can whisk them or use your hands to mix them.
Note: The temperature of the water is important for this one. Use lukewarm water (100-110 degrees Fahrenheit), and up to 1 ¾ cups depending on the humidity.
Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until foamy. The foam means your yeast is active and ready to go. If it isn't foamy, check the expiration of your yeast and start over.
Add in 500 grams of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix until no dry streaks remain in the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a silicone cover or plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1-1 ½ hours until it has doubled in size.
Take the dough and fold the outsides into the center four times. The dough will be sticky to touch and that is the correct texture.
Split it into two loaves, and transfer each to a greased baking sheet. You only need a quarter baking sheet for this recipe. Note that you can also cook this bread directly on a baking steel and use wheat germ, cornmeal, or rye flour to coat your pizza peel.
Let the dough sit for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 450F.
To Bake
Work each loaf into a 14"x5" rectangle with wet hands to help keep the dough from sticking to your fingers.
Now it's time to get your groove on! Use your fingers to gently press 5 lengthwise grooves into the dough. Don't cut all the way through the dough, but firmly press down just as you would when making focaccia.
Heat the glaze until it begins to thicken. Brush the glaze over the dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake the bread for 15-18 minutes until golden brown with the rack in the middle to bottom of the oven. Make sure you only bake one loaf at a time for the best results.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, or at room temperature. It really does taste incredible when it's fresh!
Note: Keeps well in a sealed container after completely cooled for up to 3 days, but it's definitely more delicious on the first or even second day.
Barbari FAQs
Also known as nan-e-barbari, the word noon or nan simply means bread. The whole phrase means 'bread of the Barbars'. Barbars is a term we don't use anymore to mean the Hazara people living in Khorasan, where the bread is believed to have originated.
Noon barbari pairs well with sweet toppings like jam, honey, and sarsheer (fresh clotted cream). For a savory version, pair with feta cheese, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, Persian tea eggs, and other classic foods that are served as part of a Persian breakfast. And don't forget a good strong cup of Persian tea!
This is absolutely right. You may need to flour your surface to make it easier to work with. Having said this, do not add more flour to the dough itself because you don't want to change the consistency.
Let it cool completely and keep in an airtight bag or container at room temperature. It's best consumed within a few days.
It won't be as tasty this way, but you can definitely freeze it for a later date. I recommend wrapping it in aluminum foil, then keeping in an airtight container in the freezer. When ready to reheat and serve, heat the frozen pieces of barbari without thawing in the oven or in a toaster oven for a few minutes until warmed through again.
Related Recipes
Enjoy your fresh noon barbari with these classic Persian recipes. And if you're on a bread kick, be sure to check out some of my favorite bread recipes.
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Noon Barbari
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon honey or agave if making this recipe vegan
- 1 ⅔ cups water lukewarm 100-110 degrees Farenheit, and up to 1 ¾ cups depending on the humidity
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Mix together the yeast, honey, and 1 ⅔ cups of lukewarm water. You can whisk them or use your hands to mix them. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy. If it isn't foamy, check the expiration of your yeast and start over.
- Add the 500 grams flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix until no dry streaks remain. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a silicone cover or plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1-1 ½ hours until it has doubled in size.
- Take the dough and fold the outsides into the center four times. The dough will be sticky.
- Split it into two loaves, and transfer each to a greased baking sheet. You can also cook this bread directly on a baking steel and use wheat germ, cornmeal, or rye flour to coat your pizza peel. Let it sit for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 450F.
- Work each loaf into a 14"x5" rectangle with wet hands to help keep it from sticking to your fingers.
- Use your fingers to press 5 lengthwise grooves into the dough. Do not cut all the way through the dough, but firmly press down just as you would when making focaccia.
- Heat the glaze until it begins to thicken. Brush the glaze over the dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown with the rack in the middle to bottom of the oven. Bake one loaf at a time.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
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