Bread Day - Barbari

Ok, so it's been a while since I last posted, I did have a bread day last week and I made Barbari, and bread native to Iran. They're little flat buns with a few slashes in them.

I had some trouble with this recipe. I want to blame the book, but it could have just been me, haha. Anyway, after adding the water to the flour mixture, it just seemed like too little, so I added another cup. This is where my frustration started. I got all of the water mixed in with the flour, but it was all clumpy. UGH! I decided to let it rest and rise so it would be easier to work with. Once I came back I kneaded it like was supposed to be done before. In the end it worked out. The taste wasn't that amazing but I really think that's because I wasn't able to work with it enough so it's true character wasn't found. Never-the-less, they disappeared quickly in my house full off people.

SO! Here's the recipe and my edits, . . . or edit.

BARBARI
Origins: Iran/Persia. It's called Barbari because of who originally made it, the Barbars, a group of people in Persia. Genius! In restaurants it's served with a cheese similar to Feta, Tabriz.
Characteristics: Small, flat and ovular with 2 slashes diagonal. Traditionally, this bread is much larger and thinner, kind of like a thin pizza crust, its slashes going lengthwise as opposed to diagonal. Not sure how it's supposed to taste.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2 1/2 hours
Prep; 20 minutes, rising; 1 1/2 hrs, baking; 30 minutes

This is the first recipe used from this book, Classic Breads. I forgot to take a bunch of pictures on this one. I took a few, but not enough.

STUFF

4 cups + 1 1/3 oz all-purpose flour
2Tbsp fresh yeast or 2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup + 2 1/4 oz lukewarm water (I go with straight 2 cups, maybe a little more)
3 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Sift the flour into a large bowl and carve out a well in the center. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water then pour into the well. Now you get a little dirty, swish your fingertips in the water and add flour from the sides until it becomes a creamy mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

After about 15 minutes, remove the plastic and mix in the rest of the flour along with the salt. Knead the dough thoroughly and form into a boule (ball). It should not get sticky.

In another bowl, pour in the olive oil. Place the dough in the oil and swirl it around until it is evenly covered. Again, cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise for 40 minutes.

Take the dough out and put it on your work surface. Divide it into 12 equal portions and shape into ovals. Flatten the dough and slash diagonally twice. Grease with oil, cover with a towel and let rise again for another 30 minutes.

Preheat over for 425. Place the little guys in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Addition: If you like, half way through baking, take out the buns and brush with oil or water and sprinkle on either caraway or sesame seeds and let them finish baking.

With bread,
~Chad