Nan-e barbari
Vegetarian
نان بربری · nân-e barbari
A long, golden Iranian flatbread with deep ridges, a crisp-chewy crust and an airy crumb. A flour-and-water glaze called romal gives it its colour and shine.
Nan-e barbari is an Iranian bread, ready in about 2 hours 50 minutes and made with bread flour and sesame seeds. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- 2 h
- Total
- 2 h 50 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 237
Method
Step 1
Mix flour, yeast, sugar (opens in a new tab) and water; rest 15 minutes. Add the salt and knead or stretch-and-fold until smooth and elastic — the dough is soft and sticky, so use wet hands or a scraper.
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels Step 2
Cover and leave until doubled and bubbly, about 90 minutes, giving it one set of folds after 30 minutes.
- 90 min
Step 3
Make the romal: whisk the flour and baking soda (opens in a new tab) into the water and simmer, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until it thickens slightly. Cool. Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 230 °C with a stone or tray inside.
- 5 min
- 230°C
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
- Baking stone / pizza stone (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels Step 4
Divide in two and pre-shape into logs; rest 15 minutes. On oiled baking paper stretch each into an oval about 35 × 12 cm.
- 20 min
Step 5
Brush generously with romal, then press four or five deep lengthwise grooves with your fingertips, almost to the paper. Sprinkle with sesame (opens in a new tab) and nigella seeds (opens in a new tab).
- 5 min
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels Step 6
Slide onto the hot stone and bake 15–18 minutes until deep golden-brown. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
- 18 min
- 230°C
- Baking tray / sheet (opens in a new tab)
About this dish
- Origin
- Iran · Well documentedA Tehran breakfast bread; the name is associated with the Barbari (Hazara) people.More food from Iran
- Dish
- Breakfast · Breads & flatbreads
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked, Fermented
- Taste
- savoury, nutty, mild
- Diet
- Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · DASH-style - Good for
- Freezer-friendly
- Cook more with
- Bread flour · Sesame seeds · Instant yeast · Sugar · All-purpose flour · Baking soda
- Techniques
- Baking · Simmering · Kneading · Fermentation
Allergens
- Contains: Wheatfrom bread flour, all-purpose flour
- Contains: Glutenfrom bread flour, all-purpose flour
- Contains: Sesamefrom sesame seeds
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
237 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 100 g · recipe makes 8
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 14%
- Carbohydrate 80%
- Fat 6%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 237 kcal | 237 kcal |
| Protein | 8 g | 8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 46.6 g | 46.6 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 44.8 g | 44.8 g |
| Sugars | 0.7 g | 0.7 g |
| Added sugars | 0.5 g | 0.5 g |
| Fibre | 1.8 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 1.6 g | 1.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.2 g | 0.2 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 567 mg | 567 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 1.4 g | 1.4 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 74 mg
- Calcium
- 27 mg
- Iron
- 3 mg
- Magnesium
- 21 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 0 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 197 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): nigella seeds.
- “—” 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
- For more flavour, refrigerate the dough overnight after the first hour of rising.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the romal gives a pale, matt bread.
Serve with
- Eat warm for breakfast with feta, walnuts, fresh herbs and sweet tea.
Storage
- Best on the day; freeze in pieces for up to 1 month.
Reheating
- Warm at 200 °C for 4–5 minutes.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 30 min
Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).
First rise (bulk) · about 1 h 30 min
About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.
Rest · about 15 min
Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.
Bake · about 18 min at 230 °C
Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).
Cool · about 10 min
Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.
- Start to finish: about 2 h 43 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
If something goes wrong
Dense, heavy loaf
Likely causes
- Under-kneaded (weak gluten)
- Under-proofed
- Old or dead yeast/starter
- Too much wholegrain flour without extra water
What to do
- Knead to the windowpane stage
- Proof by the poke test, not the clock
- Test yeast in warm water with sugar; feed the starter and use it at its peak
- Add 5–10% more water for wholegrain flours and give them a rest
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
Dough didn't rise
Likely causes
- Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot liquid)
- Kitchen too cold
- Salt in direct contact with fresh yeast
- Starter not active
What to do
- Liquid should be lukewarm (no hotter than 40 °C)
- Proof somewhere warm (an oven with just the light on)
- Mix the salt into the flour, not onto the yeast
- Feed the starter until it doubles in 4–8 hours
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
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