Nan-e-Barbari has a beautiful golden colour. The outside has a crunchy crust with a soft chewy, delicious centre. Sesame and Nigella seeds add a lovely crunch and flavour to the bread.

It is the fag end of the rainy season. It is the time of the year when the clouds wear beautiful colours and form breathtaking patterns. Every morning is mesmerizing and the sunsets are charming. The great artist above ensures that no two patterns on the canvas of the sky are the same.

The forest floor is a soft carpet with moss lending hues of green and brown. Ferns have sprung up from every nook and corner of the Earth. The springs are still gurgling, sending fresh bubbly water to small mountain streams.

Days are warm and evenings get cooler as we hurtle towards Autumn.

Butterflies are back, flitting on Mexican sage and wildflowers that are their favourite.

Cold nights call for light meals and baking bread is a must. It is an ideal accompaniment to soups or stews and this combination makes the best dinner that is light and nourishing.

Last evening we baked Nan-e-Barbari.

Barbari is a traditional Persian flatbread and one of the most popular bread eaten in Iran. It has a beautiful golden brown colour with a signature shape including long indented stripes and is topped with sesame and nigella seeds. It is crunchy from the outside with a soft chewy texture in the middle.

It is super easy to make at home. You only need a few basic ingredients and a large bowl to make this traditional bread.

Enjoy it for breakfast or dinner.

Nan-e-Barbari

Ingredients

Dough

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1 ½ to 1 ¾ cup water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Glaze

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup water
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon vegetable oil

Topping

Sesame seeds
Nigella seeds

Instructions

To prepare the dough, mix flour, yeast, salt, sugar oil and water. Knead this mixture using your hands or a stand mixture for about 5 to 8 minutes. The dough will be very smooth and sticky.
Lightly grease the top of the dough and let it rise in the same bowl for about an hour or until almost double.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently deflate and divide the dough into two pieces.
Shape each piece into a log about 10 inches long. Cover the logs and allow them to rise for 25-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
In the meantime prepare the glaze. Combine all the ingredients in a small pan and mix well with a whisk. Bring it to a boil and cook over medium heat until it thickens and coats the spoon. Remove from the heat and keep aside.
Transfer one log onto a lined and dusted baking tray. Gently deflate, stretch with fingers or roll out with a rolling pin.
Keep stretching all the edges to shape into a flat oval shape roughly 14” x 5”.
Brush over a thin layer of glaze.
With your fingertips, make indentations along the bread lengthwise, about 1 inch apart.
Sprinkle Sesame and Nigella seeds. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Repeat the same for the other piece of dough.
Once baked, cool in the rack. Serve warm.

Linking to #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Eggless Naan from Sneha's Recipes
Focaccia Bread Art from Passion Kneaded
Magical Oreo Paratha from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Nan-e-Barbari from Ambrosia
Rosemary Onion Socca - Chickpea Flatbread from Food Lust People Love
Sourdough Pizza Bianca from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Rosemary Dinner Rolls are soft, pillowy and delicious. You'll love to dunk them into your soup or soak up your favourite gravy. The rolls taste great with butter.

It has been a snowless winter. Almost dry, except for the heavy hailstorm that battered the hills last week. The buds of the summer fruits were beginning to open up and the heavy hail caused colossal damage to the orchards. Since we are in the cooler area, the fruit trees had not started bearing buds and luckily escaped the wrath of the storm.

Our orchards are beginning to bloom now and trees are wearing new leaves. Peach and Plum blossoms present a stunning contrast.

Spring is magical. Rhododendrons are painting the hills red. A walk in the forest is calming for the mind and soothing for the soul.

Last week we baked Rosemary Dinner Rolls. Our home smelt divine as the spiral Rosemary rolls baked.

Soft, pillowy and flavourful, the rolls made a great accompaniment to Pumpkin soup.

You may add minced garlic if you wish. Add lots of chopped rosemary to the dough. The rolls taste best when fresh and warm. Enjoy with hot soup.

Rosemary Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

3 cups bread flour/all-purpose flour / whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Rosemary
6-7 cloves garlic minced (optional)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
½ cup warm water
2/3 cup warm milk
1/3 cup oil

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Whisk well. Add 2 teaspoons chopped Rosemary and minced garlic.
In another bowl, take warm water, and add milk and sugar. Mix until sugar dissolves. Now add yeast. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes. The yeast will get activated.
Add the liquid ingredients to flour and knead for 3- 4 minutes until the dough turns soft. Now add oil and knead until the oil is well incorporated and the dough becomes soft and supple.
Transfer to an oiled bowl and turn around so that it is evenly coated with oil. Cover and keep in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and divide into 12-14 pieces.
Roll each piece into a 12-inch rope. Starting at one end, wrap the dough around itself to form a coil. Tuck under and pinch to seal.
Arrange the shaped roll on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place the rolls 2 inches apart.
Cover and let it rise for 25- 30 minutes or until double.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Brush the top of the rolls with milk. Sprinkle remaining Rosemary.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Cool on the wire rack. Serve warm.