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Palestinian · Levantine

Taboon bread

Vegetarian

خبز طابون · khubz taboon

Broad, chewy, dimpled flatbreads traditionally baked on hot pebbles in a clay taboon oven, which leaves them dotted with craters. This home version uses a baking stone at full heat.

Taboon bread is a Palestinian bread from Palestine, ready in about 2 hours 40 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and olive oil. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
25 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
1 h 45 min
Total
2 h 40 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
344

Ingredients

6 breads

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flours, yeast and sugar (opens in a new tab), add the water and 2 tbsp oil and knead 5 minutes. Add the salt and knead 5 minutes more to a soft, slightly sticky dough.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Cover and leave until doubled, about 75 minutes. Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to its maximum (250 °C+) with a stone or upturned cast-iron pan on the top shelf for 45 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Divide into 6, round and rest 15 minutes. On a well-floured surface stretch each with your hands into a thin 22–25 cm round, then press your fingertips all over to make deep dimples (these imitate the pebble marks).

    • 20 min

  4. Step 4

    Bake one at a time on the stone for 4–6 minutes, until puffed in places with brown, blistered spots. Stack in a towel.

  5. Step 5

    Serve warm, brushed with olive oil (opens in a new tab) and dusted with za'atar (opens in a new tab) if you like.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Palestine · Commonly attributedTaboon ovens and bread are shared by Palestinian and Jordanian villages; the dish is also eaten in Israel and Lebanon.Also popular in Jordan, Israel, LebanonMore food from Palestine
    Dish
    Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads
    Cooking method
    Oven-baked, Fermented
    Taste
    savoury, earthy, mild
    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 · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · Budget-friendly
    Cook more with
    All-purpose flour · Whole-wheat flour · Instant yeast · Sugar
    Techniques
    Baking · Kneading · Fermentation

    Allergens

    • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour
    • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour
    • Contains, can be adapted: Sesamefrom za'atar

    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

    344 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 133 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 11%
    • Carbohydrate 74%
    • Fat 15%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
    Energy344 kcal258 kcal
    Protein9.4 g7.1 g
    Carbohydrate63.9 g47.9 g
    Net carbohydrate60.1 g45.1 g
    Sugars0.9 g0.7 g
    Added sugars0.7 g0.5 g
    Fibre3.8 g2.9 g
    Fat5.6 g4.2 g
    Saturated fat0.8 g0.6 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium649 mg487 mg
    Salt equivalent1.6 g1.2 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    140 mg
    Calcium
    22 mg
    Iron
    3.7 mg
    Magnesium
    39 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    0 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    221 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: olive oil, za'atar.
    • “—” 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

    • Using the grill (broiler) element for the last minute gives more of the charred spots a taboon produces.

    Common mistakes

    • Rolling with a pin flattens the dimples — stretch by hand.

    Serve with

    • The traditional base for musakhan; also good with labneh, olives and tomatoes.

    Storage

    • Wrapped, 1–2 days; freeze up to 1 month.

    Reheating

    • Warm in a hot dry pan.

    Variations

    • Musakhan base: Top with sumac onions and roast chicken, then return to the oven.

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

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    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.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in step 1

    Masalas in this recipe

    Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

    • Dry spice blend

      Za'atar

      This recipe uses 2 tbsp (10 g for 6 breads).

      Make Za'atar

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 25 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 1 h 15 min

      About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

    3. Rest · about 15 min

      Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

    4. Bake · about 30 min at 250 °C

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

    5. Start to finish: about 2 h 25 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    The dough

    The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
    IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
    All-purpose flourFlour400 g80%
    Whole-wheat flourFlour100 g20%
    WaterWater340 g68%
    Olive oilFat27 g5.4%
    SaltSalt10 g2%
    Instant yeastYeast5 g1%
    SugarSugar4 g0.8%
    Total flour
    500 g
    Hydration
    68%
    With milk, eggs…
    68%
    Wholegrain
    20%

    Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

    • Soft, slightly sticky dough (65–75%) — open crumb; most rustic loaves.
    • Salt 2% — normal for bread.

    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

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