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Aish baladi
Wholemeal pocket bread
Aish baladi: Egypt's everyday wholemeal pocket bread, dusted with bran and baked in a very hot oven
Aish means 'life', and in Egypt this bread really is: neighbourhood bakeries turn out thousands of loaves an hour, cooling on palm-rib trays carried through the streets on cyclists' heads. Made with wholemeal flour and rolled in bran, the rounds puff dramatically in a fierce oven into a soft, slightly chewy pocket with a nutty, wheaty taste. It is the scoop, spoon and wrapper for ful, falafel, salads and stews at every meal. Allow about 1 hour 45 minutes for rising and resting. The most common mistake is a stone or tray that isn't hot enough, so the rounds bake flat with no pocket. Chef's tip: preheat the oven at its highest setting for a full 45 minutes, and bake only two rounds at a time.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 14 oz fine wholemeal flour
- 3 ½ oz strong white flour
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
- 1 oz wheat branfor dusting
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz fine wholemeal flour, 3 ½ oz strong white flour, 1 tsp instant yeast, ½ tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add 1 ½ cups lukewarm water and mix to a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Step 2: Knead on a clean surface until smooth and springy, about 10 minutes, or 6 minutes in a stand mixer.
10 minStep 3: Put in an oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Step 4: Divide into 8 pieces and shape each into a smooth ball. Roll each ball in 1 oz wheat bran, cover with a cloth and rest for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Meanwhile, put a baking stone or heavy upturned tray on the lowest shelf and heat the oven to its highest setting (250–525°F) for 45 minutes.
Step 6: Flatten each ball on a bran-dusted surface into a round about 15 cm across and 5 mm thick. Lay them on a bran-dusted cloth, cover and rest for 20 minutes until slightly puffy.
Step 7: Slide two rounds at a time onto the hot stone and bake until fully puffed like balloons and freckled brown in places.
4 minStep 8: Stack the hot loaves in a clean tea towel so they steam and soften while you bake the rest; they deflate but keep their pocket.
16 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aish baladi take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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