Malawah

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gplain flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspsugar
• 320 mlwarm water
• 2 tbspoil

Layering

• 200 gsamneh, clarified butter, softened
• oil, for the work surface

To serve

• honey
• melted samneh
• black tea with cardamom

Also common

• hilbeh, whipped fenugreek relish
• grated tomato

Directions

1. Mix the flour, salt and sugar, then work in the warm water and oil to a soft dough. Knead for a full 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and will stretch without tearing.
2. Knead it thoroughly. The whole method depends on stretching the dough thin enough to see your hand through, and an under-kneaded dough splits immediately. Divide into six balls, roll them in oil, cover them, and rest at least 2 hours. Rest them properly. Oil a large smooth work surface generously rather than flouring it.
3. Flour makes the sheet grip and tear; oil lets it slide and stretch, and this is how it is done in Yemeni kitchens. Flatten a ball and push it outward from the centre with oiled palms until it is a huge translucent sheet.
4. Work from the middle outward and let the weight of the dough do some of the stretching for you. Spread softened samneh over the whole sheet, right into the corners. Fold the two long sides into the middle to make a strip, spread more samneh, then roll the strip into a tight spiral.
5. Set the spirals on a tray, cover, and rest a further 30 minutes, or chill them overnight. Chilling firms the fat, and a firm spiral flattens without the layers smearing into each other.
6. Press each spiral down with your palm, then roll it into a round about 20 cm across. Roll gently and stop as soon as it is the right size, because pressure merges the layers you just built.
7. Cook in a dry heavy pan over a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes a side. Do not add oil to the pan. Brush with melted samneh and serve hot, torn apart rather than cut, with honey poured over.

Technique

• Samneh gives a distinctly different flavour from plain butter and is worth seeking out.
• The spirals freeze well and are cooked from frozen over a lower heat.
• It is sold ready-made and frozen across the Gulf.

Substitutions

• Ghee or plain butter in place of samneh.
• Ready-made frozen malawach, which is the same bread under another name.

Variations

• Eaten savoury with hilbeh and zhug.
• Jachnun, the slow-baked Shabbat relative.
• Filled with egg before the final flattening.

History

Layered pan-fried bread eaten with honey and clarified butter for breakfast.

Frequently asked questions

What is Malawah?

Malawah is a bread & pastry from Yemen: flaky layered flatbread from the clay oven. Layered pan-fried bread eaten with honey and clarified butter for breakfast.

How long does Malawah take to make?

Malawah takes 40 min plus 2 hr resting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 pieces. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Malawah?

Yes, within limits. Ghee or plain butter in place of samneh. Ready-made frozen malawach, which is the same bread under another name.

What is the most important thing to get right in Malawah?

Knead it thoroughly. The whole method depends on stretching the dough thin enough to see your hand through, and an under-kneaded dough splits immediately. Divide into six balls, roll them in oil, cover them, and rest at least 2 hours. Rest them properly. Oil a large smooth work surface generously rather than flouring it.