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Sudanese · South Sudanese

Kisra

Vegetarian

كسرة · kisra

Paper-thin sheets of fermented sorghum batter spread on a very hot griddle and peeled off in seconds. The everyday bread of Sudan and South Sudan, eaten with stews.

Kisra is a Sudanese bread, ready in about 12 hours 40 minutes and made with sorghum meal. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
12 h
Total
12 h 40 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
279

Ferment 12–24 hours; a spoon of batter from a previous batch speeds it up.

Ingredients

4 servings (about 16 sheets)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the sorghum flour (opens in a new tab) (and wheat flour (opens in a new tab), if using) with about two-thirds of the water into a thick paste; cover and leave in a warm place to ferment until bubbly and sour.

    • 5 min
    • 28°C · warm place

  2. Step 2

    Stir in enough of the remaining water to make a thin batter like pouring cream.

    • 2 min

  3. Step 3

    Heat a griddle until very hot and wipe it lightly with oil. Pour on a small ladle of batter and wipe it across the surface in a single thin sweep with a scraper or the edge of a spatula.

    A flatbread cooking on a hot griddle
    How it looks · Photo: Muhammad Khawar Nazir on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Cook for 30–60 seconds until the edges lift and the sheet is dry, then peel off and stack. Repeat with the remaining batter.

    • 27 min
    • high heat

About this dish

Origin
Sudan · Well documentedAlso a staple in South Sudan and eastern Chad (kissar).Also popular in South Sudan, ChadMore food from Sudan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Fermented, Toasted
Taste
sour, earthy
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Without the optional extras: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Sorghum meal
Techniques
Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

279 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 226 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 9%
  • Carbohydrate 80%
  • Fat 11%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy279 kcal123 kcal
Protein6.3 g2.8 g
Carbohydrate57.5 g25.4 g
Net carbohydrate52.5 g23.2 g
Sugars1.5 g0.6 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5 g2.2 g
Fat3.6 g1.6 g
Saturated fat0.5 g0.2 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol——
Sodium5 mg2 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
243 mg
Calcium
24 mg
Iron
2.4 mg
Magnesium
95 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
19 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: all-purpose flour.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The thinner the layer, the better — kisra should be almost transparent.

Common mistakes

  • A griddle that isn't hot enough — the batter sticks and won't peel off.

Serve with

  • Fold into quarters and serve with mullah stews, bamia or salata dakwa.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days wrapped in a cloth.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 10 min

    Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

  2. First rise (bulk) · about 12 h

    Bubbly on top, risen and smelling pleasantly sour.

  3. Bake · about 30 min

    Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

  4. Start to finish: about 12 h 40 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Tough or chewy flatbread

    Likely causes

    • Dough too stiff
    • Not rested
    • Cooked too slowly on too cool a pan

    What to do

    • Add water until the dough is soft and slightly tacky
    • Rest 20–30 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes
    • Cook on a very hot tawa or pan — quickly

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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