Sangak Recipe: How to Make Persian Flatbread
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 29, 2024 • 2 min read
Learn how to make traditional Persian flatbread cooked on hot pebbles.
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What Is Sangak Bread?
Nan-e sangak, or sangak for short, is a type of Persian naan bread traditionally cooked on a bed of hot stones, which gives it a delightfully bumpy texture. (The word sang means “little stone” or “pebble” in Farsi.) Sangak is thinner than other Iranian flatbreads such as barbari, but thicker than lavash and the cracker-like taftoon. Sangak can be made plain or topped with poppy or sesame seeds. In Iran, sangak is typically wrapped around lamb kebabs, feta cheese, and herbs, or enjoyed with Iranian stews, such as dizi and abgoosht.
3 Tips for Making Sangak Bread
Iranian bakeries are equipped with large ovens full of small stones to make sangak, but you can achieve a similar result at home using these techniques:
- 1. Make your own sangak oven. Mimic a real sangak oven by lining a sturdy-rimmed baking sheet with clean, oven-safe river stones. You can also use gravel stones—as many Iranian bakeries do—but smooth stones are less likely to stick to the bread after baking. Since wood-fired ovens get much hotter than the typical home oven, a pizza stone placed underneath the baking sheet will yield even better results.
- 2. Add sourdough starter. If you have a sourdough starter, you can use the starter in place of commercial yeast for a more flavorful, wild yeast dough.
- 3. Plan ahead. Whether you're using sourdough or commercial yeast, you'll want to allow the dough plenty of time to rest, rise, and develop flavor.
Classic Sangak Bread Recipe
makes
4 16-inch flatbreadsprep time
8 hr 30 mintotal time
8 hr 46 mincook time
16 minIngredients
- 1
In a medium bowl, combine the wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, and 1½ cups warm water. Stir with a spatula or fork until a wet, sticky dough forms.
- 2
Cover and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- 3
Add salt and lightly fold the dough to incorporate.
- 4
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- 5
Knead the dough in the bowl, using a scooping and folding motion.
- 6
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- 7
Repeat the kneading process.
- 8
Cover and let rest another 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and let rest overnight.
- 9
The next day, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and let come to room temperature while you prepare the sangak oven.
- 10
If you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.
- 11
Fill a large rimmed baking sheet with clean stones, and place it on top of the pizza stone.
- 12
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 13
Meanwhile, shape the bread. Moisten a work surface and your hands with water to prevent sticking.
- 14
Gently transfer one of the dough pieces to the wet work surface and stretch with your hands until you form a large, thin oval or triangle, slightly smaller than the baking sheet.
- 15
Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the pan and gently transfer the shaped bread onto the stones.
- 16
Sprinkle the bread with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, if desired, and carefully return the pan to the bottom rack of the oven.
- 17
Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
- 18
Use tongs to remove the bread from the stones.
- 19
Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
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