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Emirati Khameer Bread is a traditional soft and puffy flatbread from the United Arab Emirates, golden brown and usually topped with sesame seeds and black cumin seeds. This type of bread is different from Arabic khubz as it has a slight sweetness from date water and milk, along with a mild cardamom and nutty flavor
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When I lived in the Middle East, I noticed there were many different versions of flatbread or pita bread, including khubz/kuboos, tanoor bread, tamees, markook, shrak, and many others. In this post, I would like to share with you one of my favorite Emirati flatbreads called Khameer bread.
When I was in an Emirati restaurant, they served this type of bread which had a nice aroma from the cardamom and black cumin seeds. It had a slight sweetness due to date water and milk instead of regular water. Additionally, the bread was soft and fluffy, which is best enjoyed when freshly baked from the oven
Traditionally, in most Emirati households, they use a specific kind of electric mini-oven called a Khameer Maker to prepare their bread. However, for this delicious khaleeji recipe, I’m using an ordinary oven, as I believe it doesn’t make any difference in flavor and texture.
What to serve Khameer with?
This Emirati flatbread is usually served during breakfast, where we like to pair it with different mezze platters like cheeses, fresh vegetables, or dips. But you can also serve this during lunch or dinner time especially if serving it with meat dishes like Emirati Chicken Salona.
I love to serve my Khameer bread with dairy cheeses such as goat cheese or feta cheese, along with scrambled eggs with mushrooms. Also, don’t forget that it pairs well with vegetarian dips like baba ganoush, foul medames, or hummus. Lastly, with every meal, we always accompany it with healthy vegetables or salads like Arabic Salad or Tabbouleh.
Recipe Ingredient
Here are the ingredient you need to make an Emirati Khameer bread:
- Flour: I’m using all-purpose flour.
- Vegetable Oil: This will improve the texture of the dough, making it soft and easy to stretch when I divide it into pieces.
- Milk: This will make the dough soft and moist.
- Yeast: I’m using instant yeast to help the dough rise.
- Cardamom Powder: This will add flavor to my khameer bread.
- Date Water: I’m using fresh dates soaked in boiling water. This will add sweetness from the dates.
- Brown Sugar: Along with the date water, this will sweeten the dough.
- Salt: This balances the sweetness.
- Sesame Seeds & Black Cumin Seeds: These will add a nutty flavor to the dough.
- Egg: It will give my bread a golden color. I brush the dough with egg before sprinkling it with both seeds.
How to make date water
To make the date water, I cut 4-5 dates into smaller pieces and then poured ¾ cup of boiling water over them. I then set it aside.
It is important to leave it for 15-30 minutes or until it is no longer hot. This is because pouring the boiling date water directly onto the flour may kill the yeast, preventing the dough from rising.
Step by Step Instruction
I. Making the Dough
- Firstly, I combine the date water, which is warm, with the instant yeast. Use the spoon to mix gently.
- In a separate bowl, I combine the all-purpose flour, salt, brown sugar, cardamom powder, milk, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil before pouring the yeast-water mixture. Pour first ½ cup of yeast water and check if more is needed.
- I stirred gently using the wooden spoon before I started kneading it with my clean hand. Add 1 more tablespoon of vegetable oil and then continue kneading for several minutes until it becomes soft and stretchy.
- Once the dough achieves its soft consistency, I cover it with a plate and leave it for 1-1.5 hours.
- When the dough had already grown in size, I divided each of them into 8-9 pieces and I then transferred them into a tray.
II. Shaping and Baking the bread
- To start shaping the flatbread, I sprinkle a drop of flour on the table, which I stroke gently using a roller pin until it turns into a round flatbread.
- On each flatbread, I brush it with egg yolk and then sprinkle it with sesame seeds and black cumin seeds.
- Lastly, I preheated the oven at 250 C or 480 F for a few minutes before I transferred the flatbread to the upper rack of the oven. Have it bake for 4 minutes maximum.
- Once it starts to puff up, leave it for 1 more minute to achieve a golden brown color before removing it from the oven.
- I serve this with cheese, scrambled egg, kebda, hummus, or vegetarian dip.
STORING SUGGESTION: To store the khameer bread, I keep it in a plastic bag in the freezer, where it can last for up to 2 months without spoiling. Alternatively, if you store it in the fridge, it will last for up to 7 days.
Tips and Hints
- When baking this Emirati flatbread, it should only be baked until golden brown. Baking it for more than 5 minutes may result in a dry texture instead of a soft texture, as it becomes crispy.
- The oven must be preheated for a few minutes before baking the flatbread. This will help it rise properly and develop a nice crust.
- Brushing the bread with egg before baking will help attach the sesame and black seeds, and develop a golden brown color.
- For a variation in the recipe, you can top it with mozzarella or feta cheese along with the two seeds to make it more appetizing. This way, it is similar to making a cheese manakish.
- To reheat the khameer, I placed it directly over the flame using tongs, which will take a maximum of 30 seconds on both sides.
📋 Recipe Card
Emirati Khameer Bread
Emirati Khameer Bread is a soft, puffy flatbread from the UAE, typically golden brown and topped with sesame and black cumin seeds. It has a distinct sweetness from date water and milk with cardamom and nutty flavors.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½-3/4 cup date water
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup black cumin seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Making the Dough
Combine the warm date water with the instant yeast, gently mixing with a spoon.
In another bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, brown sugar, cardamom powder, milk, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil before adding the yeast-water mixture.
Pour in the first ½ cup of yeast-water and observe if more is needed.
Stir gently using a wooden spoon before beginning to knead with clean hands.
Add 1 more tablespoon of vegetable oil and continue kneading for several minutes until the dough becomes soft and stretchy.
Once the dough achieves its soft consistency, cover it with a plate and leave it for 1-1.5 hours.
When the dough has grown in size, divide it into 8-9 pieces and transfer each piece onto a tray.
Shaping & Baking the bread
To start shaping the flatbread, I sprinkle a drop of flours on the table, which I stroke them gently using a roller pin until it turns into a round flatbread.
On each flatbread, I brush it with egg yolk and then sprinkle it with sesame seeds and black cumin seeds.
Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F) for a few minutes.
Transfer the flatbread onto the upper rack of the oven and bake for a maximum of 4 minutes.
Once it starts to puff up, leave it for an additional 1 minute to achieve a golden brown color before removing it from the oven.
Serve the flatbread with cheese, scrambled egg, hummus, or vegetarian dip.
Notes
- Storage Suggestion: To last the bread longer, store in the plastic bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating Suggestion: To reheat the bread, placed it directly over the flame using tongs which will only take 30 seconds maximum in both side.
- The oven must be preheated for few minutes before baking the flatbread.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pieceCalories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 40.5gProtein: 7.7gFat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 1.7gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 285mgPotassium: 192mgFiber: 2.6gSugar: 5.5gCalcium: 89mgIron: 5mg
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