The Breads of Egypt: Farasheeh - فراشيح
The Sinai Peninsula has long been a region of Egypt with a distinct character. The breathtaking mountains in South Sinai are where Egypt’s highest peak is to be found and it’s also where scripture tells the story of Moses talking to God. The mountains are also home to the Saint Catherine Monastery, which was built in the sixth century AD and is the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world.
The stunning Sinai mountains (Source: Sinai Trail Facebook page)
The historical significance of Sinai goes back even before the rise of the Abrahamic religions. Affectionately known as “The land of Turquoise”, Sinai was a crucial region for the ancient Egyptians for its turquoise mines, of which the ruins of Serabit El-Khadim can still be visited. Today though, Sinai is home to about one percent of Egypt’s population, living mainly along the Mediterranean coast in the north and the Red Sea in the south.
Some of Egypt’s finest olives, figs and peaches are grown in Sinai where the food is closely tied to the land and retains the simplicity and uniqueness of the region. Bread shows up on tables every day, with the standard flatbread being the one called farasheeh (فراشيح), a thin un-leavened flatbread cooked on steel domes heated above an open fire.
Farasheeh cooked on domes of sheet metal (sag) in Sinai (Source: Sout Al Omma)
Think of farasheeh as an edible utensil, a bread made to be eaten with any and all kinds of food. They are thin and chewy consisting of only flour, water and salt. The round shape and chewy texture are what defines this simplest of breads. In my testing, I’ve found that warm water works better in creating a soft and pliable dough quickly. Anything between 30 and 50 degrees will work, but not boiling water. After mixing and kneading the dough, it needs to be rested for at least an hour so it can stretch and roll smoothly without snapping back too much. A rolling pin is recommended here to get an even thickness.
As for cooking, I used my biggest regular nonstick pan which is 32 cm in diameter and cooked the bread by placing it directly on the hot pan. Make sure you heat the pan very well on a high heat and cook quickly; 1-2 minutes total for such a thin piece. Then as soon as you remove each piece, stack them on top of each other and keep them covered so they remain soft and pliable. They will be quite a bit smaller than the ones you get in Sinai but, next to some cooked fava beans and mashed white cheese with tomatoes, they make the best breakfast east of the Suez canal. The only thing missing now is a cup of sage tea and a pristine Nuweiba beach.
Ingredients:
400 grams all purpose or bread flour
250 grams warm water
8 grams salt
Steps:
1- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead very well for five to ten minutes. Leave the dough to rest for at least one hour.
2- Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, about 80-85 grams.
Dough divided into eight pieces
3- Heat a large nonstick pan on high heat while you roll out the dough pieces.
4- Dust your work surface lightly with flour and start rolling one piece until it is thin enough that you almost see your hand through it. Aim for a diameter of about 20-25 cm.
Dough rolled out and ready
5- Place the piece of dough directly in the hop pan and cook on a high heat for one to two minutes. Make sure you don’t cook for long so it doesn’t dry and harden quickly after cooling. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Cooking farasheeh in hot pan
6- Stack the finished pieces on top of each other and cover them to keep them soft and pliable. A plastic bag keeps them fresh for at least two days, if they last that long.
Farasheeh packed in plastic bag