Taboon bread is a very famous old Palestinian bread very delicious specially with olive oil and thyme. Taboon is the oven that old Palestinian ladies used to use to bake this bread and lots of other dishes, here is it’s picture.
It is mainly a hole in the ground- a little more than a yard in diameter and 1.5 ft in depth- with a steel cover. It is covered from the inside with pebbles so as to keep the inside very hot.
In modern days, we cannot do these in most homes, so instead we try to imitate this beautiful oven using our conventional ovens and a baking sheet full of pebbles that you can gather from your backyard. I’ve got some decorative pebbles – the ones that are used in vase- from the dollar store, washed them with hot water and voila I got my taboon ready for baking.
Now let me introduce you to the Taboon bread: this is for 3 large ones so double if you want.
- 2 cups of all purpose white flour.
- 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.
- 2 Tbsp of dry yeast.
- 1 Tbs of granulated sugar
- Enough warm water to make it a sticky dough- mine took 1.5 c.
If you have an electric mixer with a dough hook would be better otherwise you knead it with hands.
- First mix the dry ingredients well together then add the water a start mixing and kneading until you get a sticky dough like this in the picture. Let it rise in a warm place for almost an hour or until doubled.
- Sprinkle a clean surface with some whole wheat flour and divide the dough into three balls.
- Flatten one ball at a time to make it a circle- does not have to be perfect- then tap it with your finger tips to form this desirable shape as this makes it look more like the original one.
- In the mean time stick your mini taboon – the baking sheet with pebbles- in the oven and turn it on to the maximum, mine was 550℉. The pebbles have to be very very hot before baking the bread.
- Gently take your fist circle and place it carefully- be aware that the pebbles are very hot- on the mini taboon and watch it. It will huff and it will puff and it will blow your mind but not down don’t you worry :).
- It takes about 3 minutes for each one to be ready you can turn the broiler on but I didn’t need to do that as the oven was so so hot.
- It turned out so delicious and hubby was so glad 🙂
- I can fill these babies with almost anything and enjoy 🙂
I hope you’ve enjoyed this traditional bread today. Try it and tell me what do you think.
Salam. What an interesting way of doing these breads. I sometimes use the oven but find it easier and faster to use two frying pans, well of course I do twenty thirty every time a couple of times per week but never tried it on pebbles. Will definitely try that, oh and by the way, no salt in your dough? Salt will help the dough become more elastic. Thanks for a great site, I originally came for the maqloobi and found a treasure 🙂
Thanks Samantha for your kind words. It is an interesting way of baking bread right? I actually got it from a friend and I made it as is, next time I will add salt , thanks for the tip .
I live in USA, here we call it pita bread, or Texas flat bread. From my study, every nation on the planet seems to have a flat bread recipe, and all are interesting.
I make my bread with a natural yeast starter made from organic grapes, then mix half white flour with half whole wheat flour, and water.
To cook it, I build a hot wood fire in my BBQ then set the lid on by half or more, and when the lid is hot, I put the bread on the top of the bbq, the result is a lovely flat bread, which I serve with the usual greek gyro ingredients.
To any and all, if you have a small Weber bbq, the lid, set over a small, hot wood fire, makes a really nice place to make flat bread.
Robert, what a great suggestion, this would be very helpful to my readers. Unfortunately I do not have a weber. I even thought of inverting a wok over stovetop to get the same result. Thanks again and hoping to see more of your great tips around here.
Hey, thanks for the forum post. Fantastic.
yo
Thank you so much for the delicious taboun , they are awsome !!!
I cook them without the pebbles .. I went outside I looked everywhere in Canada , I didnt find one pebble in the ground!! they turned yummyy though
You are welcome dear, I’m glad you liked it.
Just wondering, do you put the rolled dough directly on the stones?
Thanks Theresa for passing by, and yes I put it directly on the stones.
Amira,
I made this for our family dinner this evening alongside a Palestinian stew, it was delicious!! Thank you so so much for posting these wonderful recipes, I will defiantly be making more of them. And thank you for attaching pictures of how things are to look at various stages, I found them very helpful as this was the first arabic dish I have made.
Shukran! Nahaarak Saeed.
Dear Amira
As salaam alaikom
Just making some more Taboon bread according to your recipe. Now waiting for the dough to prove. By 4.30pm we’ll be dipping in to the zaytoun wa za’atar again!
Ma as salaameh!
Dave
I’m really happy that you are making these again :).. Thanks for keeping me updated, I was going to make it today for dinner too.
Thank you so much! I’m Palestinian and as a kid I saw my paternal grandma make taboon. I’m gonna make some today in the oven on an overturned skillet using your recipe 🙂
Sabah al khair ya Amira. Kefik?
I made the tabun bread. It was quite successful, slightly too doughy though. It did taste good mind.I was quite pleased with it.Dipping it into the zaytoun and za’atar was sublime, reminding me too of my time in the villages in South Hebron Hills.
I’ve just made some more this morning. I have improved the kneading technique I think and it looks drier while it’s proving. I’ll let you know if the bread is better than last time.
Well well well I am so pleased that this recipe reminded of the good time although it was not the same taste. I’ve never tasted the original one before so this is my only experience with it. Please let us know how you did this time. I highly appreciate your feed back.
As salaam alaikom
I was in Palestine for five weeks last November. I was working with students at schools in Umm Al Khair and Susya in the South Hebron Hills. I stayed in the villages for some of the time. I saw tabun bread being made in the oven in the ground in Susya by Sannah whose family i stayed with.
I also had srak bread in Umm Al Khair, a Bedouin village.
Both breads are just beautiful. No need for cutlery, as everything can be picked up with the bread. I have beautiful memories of sharing bread in the villages, especially with za’atar and olive oil.
I am about to make some tabun bread in the morning, for the first time..
Ma as salaameh
Love and solidarity
Dave Clinch
Wa Alaykom Assalam Dave 🙂
What a great opportunity you had … I guess it is very rare to see such ovens these days- as I’ve heard from my friends over there. I hope this recipe will turn out so close to the one that you used to have. Oh and with zaatar and olive oil yummm, a heavenly taste. Hope to hear from you again.
Well, I’d have to find a whole load of pebbles, but this looks positively delightful. I love learning about world breads, and baking techniques too – thanks for sharing this – I’m going to give it a try sometime, although I’m not sure where I will find the stones from… must look around at local gardening stores!
Hi Charles, I’ve got mine from the decorating section in a dollar store- where everything is only $1- check your cheapest store you may find them there.
Very Nice Pics, makes it Yummy to try and eat!
It is indeed yummy , thanks for your sweet comment
Amira: How interesting!!!! I love to see both the traditional and modern ways that this bread can be baked. Flat breads have always been one of my favorite…This Palestinian Taboon is a must-have. It’s so versatile!! It can be eaten filled with many things as a sandwich or just an an accompainment for meat or vegetable stews. Well, I hope you have had a great holiday!
That’s true Denise, you can stuff them with anything and enjoy .. try them and tell me what do you think.
This bread gave me a little taste of home. It turned out great. I had a hard time moving the dough from the counter to the rocks without it ripping but it just needs practice or just more flour. Thanks!