Sangak is a type of Iranian bread made from thin sheets of yeasted dough baked on small river rocks. It has a spongy texture and is traditionally served hot with feta cheese, yogurt, and jam. It can be baked in modern pizza ovens or on a pizza stone.
Sangak is a type of Iranian bread, a flat bread baked in a unique way. The name means ‘little stones’ and the full name of the bread, ‘nan-e sangak’ translates to ‘little stone bread’. Sangak is made from very thin sheets of yeasted dough which are placed on the bottom of an oven or pan covered with small river rocks. Baking on the uneven surface of the stones gives the bread sheets variable thickness and colour. Some pieces commonly have small charred areas or holes.
Traditional sangak has a slightly acidic flavor and a distinctive spongy texture. It can be made with sesame seeds or poppy seeds sprinkled on the surface, but is often sold neat. Iranian bakeries that offer sangak usually bake it and sell it hot two or three times a day.
Gas brick ovens are traditionally used to bake bread. The cooking surface is covered with clean, smooth, gravel-sized rocks. In most modern bakeries, ovens used for pizza can be used for sangak. Some bakeries use conveyor belts with a rough surface that mimics the effects of rocks on baked bread. For home cooking, some use clean pebbles soaked in oil and spread over a baking sheet.
Homemade sangak recipes usually call for a blend of whole wheat and white flour. The dough is considered very simple, containing only flour, salted water and yeast. Authentic recipes call for letting the dough develop overnight, which gives it a slight sourdough flavor. The dough is rolled out into oval or rectangular pieces about 1.27 cm thick.
The bread is baked in a very hot oven: 450 or 500 degrees F (about 230 to 260 C.) While it doesn’t have the full effects of baking on rocks, a pizza stone can offer a good baking surface. It only takes a few minutes to bake the bread. The texture is improved by briefly taking the dough out of the oven to press it onto the cooking surface with a metal spatula, returning it to the oven for a minute or two, then turning it over to finish the cooking process.
Sangak is usually served hot. It is also typically served with feta cheese, thick Middle Eastern-style yogurt, and black cherries or other types of jam. It can also be a good accompaniment to kebabs. The bread freezes well and can be easily reheated.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
