Samoon

Ingredients

Dough

• 700 gstrong white flour
• 420 mlwarm water
• 8 ginstant yeast
• 12 gsalt
• 1 tbspsugar
• 3 tbspoil

To finish

• a little water, for spraying
• sesame or nigella seeds, optional

Equipment

• a baking stone or steel
• a peel

To serve

• with kebab
• with breakfast eggs and cheese
• or for dipping

Directions

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then work in the warm water and oil. Knead for 10 to 12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and passes a windowpane test. Knead it properly. Samoon should be light and open inside, and that needs real gluten development.
2. Prove for 1 hour 30 minutes until doubled. Now heat the oven as hot as it will go, at least 250°C (480°F), with a stone or steel inside for a full hour. Roll each into a tight ball and rest them 15 minutes.
3. Flatten a ball into an oval, then fold the two long sides into the centre and pinch the seam closed. Taper them deliberately, because a rounded loaf is simply a bread roll.
4. Set them seam side down on a floured board or a couche. Prove a further 30 to 40 minutes until visibly puffed but not fully doubled. Do not over-prove them. Scatter sesame or nigella seeds if you want, though plain is the standard. Now slide them straight onto the hot stone.
5. Put a tray of water in the bottom of the oven for the first few minutes. The steam keeps the crust soft long enough for the loaf to expand fully, and without it the crust sets early and the bread stays dense.
6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden and puffed. They should have risen dramatically and sound hollow when tapped underneath. Cool them briefly on a rack before serving.
7. Serve them warm, split lengthways and filled with kebab, or torn and dipped. Bakeries turn them out continuously and people queue for them hot from the oven.

Technique

• The shape varies slightly between bakeries and the pointed diamond is the standard.
• Some bakeries make a slightly enriched version with milk.
• It freezes well and is refreshed in a hot oven.

Substitutions

• A heavy baking tray preheated as long as possible, in place of a stone.
• Strong bread flour, which is what the recipe assumes.

Variations

• With sesame or nigella seeds on top.
• Made larger, for sandwiches.
• A slightly enriched version with milk and a little butter.

History

Diamond-shaped bread baked on the floor of a stone oven, split for kebabs and for breakfast.

Frequently asked questions

What is Samoon?

Samoon is a bread & pastry from Iraq: diamond-shaped stone-oven bread, Iraq’s daily loaf. Diamond-shaped bread baked on the floor of a stone oven, split for kebabs and for breakfast.

How long does Samoon take to make?

Samoon takes 30 min plus 2 hr rising of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 loaves. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Samoon?

Yes, within limits. A heavy baking tray preheated as long as possible, in place of a stone. Strong bread flour, which is what the recipe assumes.

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

Set them seam side down on a floured board or a couche. Prove a further 30 to 40 minutes until visibly puffed but not fully doubled. Do not over-prove them. Scatter sesame or nigella seeds if you want, though plain is the standard. Now slide them straight onto the hot stone.