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Bint al sahn
Bint al sahn (بنت الصحن): Yemeni layered honey bread with black seed
Bint al sahn, 'daughter of the plate', is the grand bread of Sana'a, set in the centre of the table for guests, weddings and Eid and pulled apart with the fingers while it is still warm. Many paper-thin sheets of egg-rich dough are stacked with melted ghee, baked until the top is deep gold and the inside is flaky and soft, then soaked with warm honey and sprinkled with nigella seeds. It is eaten with Yemeni coffee or tea, often as the sweet that opens a big meal. The mistake that ruins it is skimping on the ghee between the layers; without it the sheets fuse into a dense loaf. Chef's tip: roll the first sheets slightly bigger than the rest, so the bottom layers wrap up around the sides and hold the stack together.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 eggslarge
- ¾ cup whole milklukewarm
- 3 ½ tbsp waterlukewarm, as needed
For layering and finishing
- 7 oz gheemelted
- 1 egg yolkbeaten, to glaze
- 1 tsp nigella (black) seeds
- 7 oz honeywarmed
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 1 tsp instant dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add 3 eggs and ¾ cup whole milk and mix, adding 3 ½ tbsp water a spoonful at a time, to make a soft dough. Knead for 10 minutes until it is very smooth and elastic.
10 minStep 2: Divide into 14 equal balls, brush them lightly with a little of 7 oz ghee, cover and rest for 30 minutes so they relax and stretch easily.
30 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (fan 325°F) and brush a 24 cm round cake tin or ovenproof pan generously with ghee.
Step 4: On a lightly oiled worktop, roll or stretch one ball into a very thin round about 30 cm across; it should be almost see-through. Lay it in the tin, letting the edges come up the sides, and brush well with melted ghee.
3 minStep 5: Repeat with the remaining balls, brushing each sheet with ghee and folding any overhang inwards, until all 14 are stacked. Keep the top sheet neat. Cutting the stack into 8 wedges now, almost to the base, makes it easier to share later.
25 minStep 6: Brush the top with 1 egg yolk and sprinkle with 1 tsp nigella (black) seeds.
Step 7: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the sides are crisp and a knife pushed into the centre comes out without wet dough.
35 minStep 8: As soon as it comes out, pour the warm 7 oz honey all over so it runs into the cuts and between the layers. Leave for 5 minutes, then serve warm with any remaining ghee spooned over.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bint al sahn take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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