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.
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