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Tamees
Ghee and sesame flatbread
Tamees (تميس): Hejazi tandoor flatbread brushed with ghee and sesame
In the old lanes of Jeddah and around Mecca, bakeries run by families of Afghan descent pull tamees from clay tandoors before dawn, and people queue for them still blistering hot to eat with ful, cheese or honey. The bread is wide and puffy, crisp on its sesame-studded face and chewy underneath, with deep finger dimples that hold pools of melted ghee. At home a very hot oven and a preheated baking stone or heavy tray stand in for the tandoor. The usual mistake is baking at a moderate heat: the bread then dries out before it can puff and stays pale and tough. Tear it at the table and serve with a pot of ful medames, white cheese and sweet tea. Chef's tip: press the dimples right down to the tray with three fingers; shallow marks disappear as the dough springs up.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the top
- 3 tbsp gheemelted
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Pour in 1 ½ cups warm water and 2 tbsp vegetable oil and stir into a shaggy, rather soft dough.
Step 2: Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and springy, about 10 minutes; it should feel slightly tacky but not stick to your hands.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave somewhere warm until doubled in size.
60 minStep 4: Put a baking stone or heavy upturned tray on the top shelf and heat the oven to its highest setting (at least 475°F) for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Knock back the dough and divide it into 4 balls. Cover and rest for 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough stretches without tearing.
10 minStep 6: On a floured sheet of baking paper, press and stretch one ball into a round about 25 cm across. Press deep dimples all over with three fingertips, right down to the paper.
Step 7: Brush with a little 1 ½ tbsp ghee and scatter over a quarter of 2 tbsp sesame seeds and 1 tsp nigella seeds.
Step 8: Slide the bread on its paper onto the hot stone and bake until puffed, spotted deep golden and crisp at the edges, 6–8 minutes. Bake the rest the same way.
28 minStep 9: Brush each hot bread with the rest of 1 ½ tbsp ghee and stack under a cloth so the crust softens slightly. Eat within the hour.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 92 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tamees take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 100 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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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