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Taftan
Saffron milk and egg bread
تافتان (taftan): a soft, saffron-scented milk and egg bread from the tandoors of Lahore and Karachi
PakistaniPersian in origin and long loved in the courts of Awadh, taftan is the bread a Karachi family brings home from Burns Road or the bakeries of Hussainabad when there is a special nihari or paya breakfast, and in Lahore it is sold beside sheermal in the Walled City. The dough is enriched with milk, egg, ghee and a little sugar, scented with cardamom and brushed with saffron milk, so it bakes into a pale gold round that is tender, faintly sweet and fragrant. It is torn and dipped into rich gravies, eaten with seekh kebab, or simply enjoyed with tea. Because it is so rich, the dough rises more slowly than a plain naan, so give it a warm spot and time. Trouble usually starts with too much flour added during kneading to stop the dough sticking, which makes the bread dense. Chef's tip: dock the shaped rounds all over with a fork, so they bake flat and even rather than puffing into a balloon.
- Total time
- 145 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 16 oz plain flour (maida)
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 eggbeaten
- ¾ cup warm milk
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 ¾ oz gheemelted
For brushing
- 1 pinch saffron
- 3 tbsp warm milk
- 1 tbsp gheemelted
- 1 tsp white poppy or melon seeds (optional)
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Method
0/10 doneStep 2: Mix 16 oz plain flour (maida), ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom in a large bowl.
Step 3: Add 1 egg, ¾ cup warm milk, 2 tbsp plain yogurt and 1 ¾ oz ghee and mix, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic; the dough will feel greasy at first.
Step 4: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 1/2–2 hours until doubled.
100 minStep 5: Divide the dough into six balls, cover and rest for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Meanwhile heat the oven to 475°F with a heavy baking tray on the middle shelf.
20 minStep 7: Roll or press each ball into a 15 cm round about 8 mm thick, keeping a slightly thicker rim, and prick the centre all over with a fork.
Step 8: Brush the rounds generously with the saffron milk and scatter with 1 tsp white poppy or melon seeds.
Step 9: Bake two or three at a time on the hot tray for 7–8 minutes, until risen at the edges and golden, with the base sounding hollow when tapped.
8 minStep 10: Brush the hot breads with 1 tbsp ghee and keep them wrapped in a tea towel until serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does taftan take?
- About 145 minutes in total: 130 minutes to prepare and 15 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- 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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