Iconic, Persian Barbari Bread is a thick and fluffy, high hydration bread made with both whole wheat and bread flour.  “Noon” (also “nan”) is the word in Farsi for bread.  This Persian bread is a relatively easy bread to make with a short list of wholesome ingredients. 

Barbari is delicious for breakfast, sliced and filled with butter and jam for a sweet option, or with feta, herbs, and nuts for a more savory palate.  The phrase for bread and cheese in Farsi is “noon o paneer”.

The traditional breakfast in most Persian families is enjoying warm toasted bread with butter, jam, and tea.  We love a good homemade jam.  My favorite is luscious, aromatic Rose Petal jam.  Next favorites include Fresh Red Plum Compote Jam and Honey Dew Melon Jam.

To learn more about the customs around Persian breakfast, listen to the Modern Persian Food podcast Episode 27:  Persian Breakfast.

Iconic thick and fluffy Persian barbari bread is probably my favorite however there are many other varieties of Persian bread including lavash, sangak, and taftoon.  The types of flours used in most traditional Iranian bread are whole wheat, white, and sometimes barley, or a combination of flours.

For a deeper dive into the details and varieties of Persian bread, listen to our Modern Persian Food podcast Episode 49:  Persian Breads.

To be honest, the first time I made this bread I was intimidated.  Would my bread rise?  Am I over kneading it?  Will the taste and texture be as expected? 

From the very first attempt, this recipe did not disappoint.

When it comes to making bread at home, I prefer kneading by hand.  I find it relaxing and I enjoy the process.  There are more modern processes to make this bread, for example, using a stand mixer.  I like to imagine how my ancestors made this bread by patiently kneading the dough, waiting for it to rise, and massaging the water in, sprinkling the seeds on top, and baking it until it is the fluffy barbari bread that we know and love.

The ingredients list for Persian barbari bread is wholesome and simple.

Main ingredients:

• white bread flour
• whole wheat flour
• salt
• sugar
• active dry yeast
• water

Important tip:  use fresh active dry yeast. 

The most important thing when gathering the ingredients for this recipe is to be sure you have fresh, active dry yeast.  Check the expiration date.  If you open the yeast packaging, be sure to restore it to an airtight container or bag and refrigerate it or store it in a cool, dry place.  If it is 3 or 4 months past the expiration date, you may get lucky, however for best results replace it with a fresher yeast.

As a final step before baking, use either a basic eggwash or, to keep it vegan, use a little olive oil on top to help the seeds stick.  Using an egg wash will give the final bread product a slightly browner top crust while using olive oil will keep the bread looking a bit more rustic and tasting slightly more like a focaccia.

This recipe makes 3 mini barbari “loaves” of bread.

Yield: 4

Persian Barbari Bread

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Iconic, Persian Barbari Bread is a thick and fluffy, high hydration bread made with both whole wheat and bread flour.  "Noon" (also "nan") is the word in Farsi for bread.  This Persian bread is a relatively easy bread to make with a short list of wholesome ingredients. 

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 18 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 48 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 oz. or 2 1/4 tsp.)
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3 cups white bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon *sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon black *nigella seeds
• 1 egg for egg wash (*optional) / or a thin coat of olive oil may be brushed on to help the seeds stick and to keep this bread vegan

Instructions

1. Activate the active dry yeast in a small bowl by combining the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/3 cup of warm water
2. Stir the yeast solution and cover it with plastic wrap first, then let it sit for about 30 minutes - the yeast solution will have become puffy and foamy
3. In a large bowl, combine the white bread flour and the whole wheat flour with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of sea salt; combine it with your hands
4. Once the yeast solution has been activated (has become puffed and foamy), add it to the flour mixture along with about 1 cup of the warm water - set the remaining 1/2 cup of warm water aside but nearby
5. Knead the dough with your hands while still in the large bowl for a total of about 40 minutes
6. Squeeze, push, and turn the dough until the water and moisture have been mostly absorbed - add more water gradually (about 1/8 or 1/4 of a cup at a time)
7. Continue the process of hand kneading the bread dough in the bowl and absorbing added water until the water gets mostly absorbed but the dough begins to stick a bit at the bottom of the bowl when lifted up
8. Shape the dough into a ball at the bottom of the bowl and cover it with a dish towel - set it aside and allow the dough to rise for a minimum of 1 hour (I try to allow rising for 3 to 4 hours)
9. Preheat the oven to 450 Fahrenheit
10. Lightly flour a working surface and divide the dough into 3 equal parts (I use a large sharp knife)
11. Shape each of the bread dough sections first into balls and then into ovals - carefully push, stretch, and flatten the ovals to the desired bread shape
12. Make vertical striped indentations in the bread with your fingertips and transfer to baking sheets
13. Prepare the egg wash *see recipe notes* or use a thin layer of olive oil over the tops of the bread
14. Sprinkle the seeds on the tops of the bread
15. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes
16. Allow bread to cool slightly then cut along the width or horizontally

Notes

This recipes makes 3 small "loaves" of Persian barbari bread

*Seed substitutions: whole hemp seeds may be used in the place of sesame seeds; chia seeds may be used in the place of black nigella seeds

*Easy egg wash: 1 egg whisked with about 1 tablespoon of water until thin and smooth

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 1086mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g