It was a slow day at Casa Adora – the kind where the kitchen calls and there's no particular reason not to answer it. I'd been curious about this nan-e barbari recipe for a while. It's one of Iran's most beloved everyday breads: long, oval, chewy, and distinctively glazed with a cooked paste called roomal that gives the crust its characteristic sheen and slight crispness. This nan-e barbari recipe is simpler than it looks.

The Persian influence on food stretches further than most people realise. Polow — the Persian word for rice cooked in stock with spices — travelled the trade routes east and west, giving us pilau in India and pilaf across the Middle East and Central Asia. Barbari bread is the other side of that story: ancient, practical, and quietly magnificent.

Nan-e barbari fresh from the oven — roomal glaze, sesame seeds, and that chewy interior — Casa Adora, The Flexible Chef.

I used a half-and-half mix of white and wholemeal flour, which gives a little more depth than an all-white loaf without making it heavy. The roomal glaze – chickpea flour, water, and bicarbonate of soda, briefly cooked until thickened – is the detail that makes this bread what it is. Don't skip it.

Nan-e barbari recipe – ingredients

• 125g white bread flour
• 125g wholemeal bread flour
• 10g melted butter
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 160g tepid water
• 1 tsp runny honey
• 1 tsp salt — this bread is traditionally salty, so adjust to taste

For the roomal glaze:

• 1 tbsp chickpea flour
• 4 tbsp water
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Sesame seeds or seeds of your choice to finish

Method

1. Combine the flours, yeast, honey, salt, and melted butter in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer running on slow, gradually add the tepid water until the dough comes together into a ball.
2. Increase the speed one notch and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. Cover the bowl and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a ball, cover, and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the roomal glaze. Combine the chickpea flour, water, and bicarbonate of soda in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens to a spreadable paste. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
6. Flatten the risen dough with the palm of your hand into a rough oval shape. Press your fingers into the surface to make deep, lengthways indentations — these are characteristic of barbari and help the glaze settle.
7. Spread the roomal glaze evenly over the surface, then scatter generously with sesame seeds.
8. Cover and leave to rest for a further 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
9. Bake for 15 minutes until golden, glazed, and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.

Serves 2. This nan-e barbari recipe works equally well alongside a bowl of soup or as the centrepiece of a simple mezze.

FOOTNOTE

This recipe is part of the Bread Hub - a complete collection of bread recipes from The Flexible Chef. Explore the full collection.

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