Barbari, Noon Barbari, or Nan Barbari, is a popular traditional Persian flat bread with a crisp crust and light airy texture. Noon, or nan, means bread in Farsi. This bread is best when eaten hot right out of the oven and it is the most favored bread for breakfast (sobhaneh). Some of the special delicacies enjoyed with Noon Barbari are feta cheese (panir) (pictured below) and walnuts (gerdu), clotted cream (sar shir) topped with honey (asal), also butter (kareh) and jam (moraba), or grapes (angur) and cucumbers (khiar), just to mention a few!
Noon Barbari is baked in every part of Iran, but each bakery has its own signature method that creates a different look and a slightly different taste and texture. Most of these bakeries have been around for a long time and are situated inside the old residential neighborhoods, usually in a walking distance from the houses, or in more recent years, the residential high rises.
The aroma of fresh baked Barbari fills the neighborhoods shortly after sunrise. The bakery is called “nanvaii, noonvaii” and the baker, “nanva, noonva!” The bakers have a very early start, before sunrise, to make the sourdough “khamir.” To maintain a steady production of fresh baked Barbari for breakfast, most bakeries have several employees who work different shifts. Each shift may include 3-4 noonva, who are in charge of different tasks. The bakers who start the sourdough in wee hours of the morning sometimes spend the night at the bakery. The others who bake the Barbari inside the special stone ovens (tanoor) arrive closer to the opening time since this bread is sold as soon as it is baked.
The line of customers starts forming in front of the bakeries before 7 a.m. The first batch of soft, perfectly risen dough is divided and formed into identical sized balls and is neatly arranged in rows on a large table. Then the dough is flattened and brushed with the special glaze called “roomal,” that gives the Barbari its crispy golden colored crust. At this point some of the dough is baked plain and some are sprinkled with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or nigella. Special wooden boards with long handles are used to transfer the loaves one by one inside the special stone ovens called “tanoor.” After about 8-10 minutes the perfectly golden brown Barbari (s) get puled out one by one and placed on the counter for the awaiting customers. The bakeries charge a few extra “toman” for the Barbari garnished with seeds. Today’s price in Tabriz is 1000 toman (28 cents) for plain Barbari, and 1500 toman (43 cents) for the seeded!
This process keeps going for only couple of hours in the morning, and again in the evening. As the first batch of Barbari is baked and sold, a new batch of dough is already rising, because they are sold out pretty quickly. If you’re planning on an early breakfast you hope to be one of the first ones in line, otherwise you might have to be in line for a while longer until the second batch is baked. Each patron can only purchase a limited number of loaves (usually 2-3), to be fair to all those waiting in line. The loaves are certainly too hot to handle, but can’t keep people waiting, so be prepared to pick them up as fast as they hit the counter!
Some bakeries form two lines, one for people who want only one Barbari and the other for those who want more. This whole process might sound slow and unfeasible for our rushed western culture, but that is the price you have to pay for eating one of the best breads in the world. Going to bakeries and standing in line for Barbari with my sister is always one of the most delightful morning activities every time I visit Iran, not to mention devouring one of the steaming hot breads on the way home!
Those of you who also follow me on Facebook, know that I have been working on this recipe for a while!! Yes, it has taken baking and eating several loaves of Barbari to finally come up with the recipe that I’m happy with. This is a delicious Barbari bread that has a crispy golden crust with an airy and light texture inside. The top and bottom layers separate easily without any need for a knife, so you can fill it with your choice of tasty fillings. This Noon Barbari is the closest to what I grew up eating in Iran!
Some points are worth mentioning: *This is a soft, sticky dough and no extra flour should be kneaded into the dough to keep it from sticking. **I recommend using ONLY Bread flour to make this Barbari. ** In one of my experiments I used an all-purpose flour, which resulted in a nice looking loaf with a semi dense texture, but unfortunately lacking that special Barbari flavor. **Another time I used an all-purpose unbleached flour which rose very little and was tough and not acceptable at all. **When this dough was kneaded too much the bread became very dense and tough and not airy like Noon Barbari should be.
I will not bore you with the rest of my Barbari trials, but I highly recommend that you follow my recipe exactly, the first time you bake this, without making any changes. I would really like to read your comments about your experience baking this bread!
The following pictures are to illustrate certain key steps. Please read the entire printable recipe for the detailed instructions!
Add the yeast, sugar and 1 cup lukewarm water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir a few times, then cover the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap and then with a large kitchen towel and let it sit for 10 minutes, or until it looks thick and frothy (if the yeast mixture does not get frothy, the yeast has expired and you might need to get fresh yeast). Place a large pizza stone on the middle rack and preheat your oven to 500 F. Follow the recipe below and mix the rest of the dough ingredients, first with a spoon, and then beat for 3 minutes in the mixer to make the dough. Transfer all the sticky dough to a clean large bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap and then with the large kitchen towel and let it sit at room temperature for 25 minutes. Meanwhile make the roomal (glaze) according to the recipe and heat it until it thickens. You will be able to leave a mark with the back of your spoon on the bottom of the skillet. The warm roomal should be thin and will thicken further as it cools.
The dough is ready and sticky; that is the way it is supposed to be, Do not add any more flour and do not knead more than the recommended time in the mixer. Sprinkle the extra flour over your work surface and flour your hands for the ease of dividing and handling the dough. Divide the dough into 3 parts visually and remove one part with your floured hands and drop it on the work surface. Leave the rest of the dough in the bowl.
Roll the first piece of dough around in the flour to make a ball, while covering only the top surface with flour. Set it aside and repeat this step with the other two portions. Let the balls of dough rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes. On the floured surface slightly flatten one ball of dough into an oval shape.
I have mixed equal amounts of black and white sesame seeds to sprinkle on my bread, you may use nigella or poppy seeds instead. Use the back of a spoon or your fingertips to brush the oval dough with the prepared glaze. With the fingertips of both hands make rows of deep indentations in the dough without tearing into it. Then with your fingertip connect the indentations to make several long deep grooves. Sprinkle 1/3 of the seeds evenly on the dough. Let the dough sit for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile place a 10 x 15 inch sheet of parchment paper over a narrow cutting board or on the back of a baking sheet, set it aside.
Use a flour covered pastry cutter or a spatula to release the dough from the work surface. With floured hands carefully lift and stretch the dough to the size of the parchment paper and place it on the parchment covered board. Use the board to gently slide the parchment paper and the dough on the hot pizza stone. Now, shape and glaze the second ball of dough the same way that you did for the first ball of dough.
Bake the Barbari for 5 minutes. Open the oven door and turn the parchment and bread half a circle and bake for 5 more minutes. If you see that the bread is getting too dark, reduce the second bake time to 4 minutes. Using oven proof mittens remove the paper and Barbari from the oven and cool on the rack. Bake the second shaped dough and start shaping the 3rd ball of dough. When the Barbari loaves are cool enough to handle brush off any excess flour from the back with a soft brush and use a serrated knife to cut each loaf into several pieces.
Barbari tastes the best when still warm! We enjoyed it with feta cheese, grapes and cucumbers and washed it down with a glass of freshly brewed Persian tea in the backyard!
I hope you will try this recipe and as I mentioned before, please make a comment when you do!
Yields: 3 loaves of Barbari
Prep Time: About 1 hour
Bake Time for each loaf: 10 minutes
You will need a stand mixer with a dough hook, a pizza stone, and a cutting board lined with parchment paper
- For The Dough
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¾ tsp granulated sugar
- 2 cups water (divided)
- 4 ¼ cups Bread flour for the dough plus ⅓ cup flour for the work surface
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- For The Glaze (roomal)
- 1 tsp flour
- ¼ cup cold water
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup boiling hot water
- Garnish
- 2-3 tsp white or black sesame seeds (I used a combination) for sprinkling over the Barbari
- Measure out 4 ¼ cups of flour into a bowl. Add 2 tsp kosher salt and stir briefly with a spoon to combine. Set aside.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer. Add 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast and ¾ teaspoon sugar to the bowl.
- In a microwave safe bowl heat 1 cup water for 25 seconds until lukewarm and add it to the mixing bowl. Use a spoon to gently stir the ingredients in the bowl 3-4 times. Cover the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap first, then cover it with a large kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- At this time place the pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven and preheat to 500 F.
- The yeast mixture will look puffed up on top and will be very frothy; if it does not get frothy, the yeast has expired and it is time to get fresh yeast before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- Microwave another 1 cup of water for 25 seconds.
- Add half of the flour to the yeast mixture and use a sturdy spoon to mix it. Add the cup of lukewarm water and the rest of the flour. Keep mixing with the spoon until combined.
- Attach the mixing bowl to the stand mixer and set it up with the dough hook. With the mixer on medium low (it is #4 on my KitchnAid), beat the dough for 3 minutes until well combined and no dry flour is seen. The dough will be very sticky and that is normal, do not add any more flour. No extra kneading is necessary.
- Add all of the dough to a large clean bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap, then cover the whole thing with the large kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 25 minutes. The dough will rise to about twice the original volume.
- Meanwhile prepare the glaze: In a small nonstick skillet add ¼ cup cold water and 1 tsp flour. Use a spoon to completely break up the flour in the water. When you stop stirring the mixture separates and is not uniform. Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda and the ¼ cup hot water to the skillet and stir to combine. Place the skillet on medium low heat and keep stirring until the liquid gets very hot, and comes to a very slow boil. Continue stirring until the liquid is uniformly cloudy and slightly thickened. When you stop stirring the glaze should not separate. Remove the skillet from heat and set it aside on the counter; the glaze will thicken further as it cools.
- Sprinkle the work space with ⅓ cup flour. This is a very sticky dough and you will be using this flour to dust your hands and the top of the dough, it will Not get kneaded into the risen dough.
- Visually divide the dough inside the bowl into 3, then with floured hands separates one section (will be extremely sticky) and drop it onto the heavily floured surface and flour your hands more if needed. Gently roll the dough on the flour to make a ball that is covered with flour on all sides. Do not knead and don't handle the dough any more than you have to.
- Leave the floured ball of dough on the work space and repeat with the remaining dough and again visually take half of the remaining out and cover it in flour. Without covering, let the balls of dough sit for another 10 minutes on the work surface. The dough will rise further.
- On a floured part of the work surface without handling the dough too much, use your fingers to flatten one of the balls of dough into an oval shape, about 6 x 9 inches.
- Use your fingertips or the back of a spoon to evenly spread about 1 tablespoon of the glaze over the flattened dough.
- With fingers touching make several rows of deep indentations with your fingertips along the length of the dough. Then move your fingertip over the markings and make long deep grooves in the dough without tearing into it.
- Sprinkle ⅓ of the sesame seeds evenly over the dough and let it sit for 5 more minutes.
- Drape a 10 x 15 inch parchment paper over a cutting board or the back of a baking sheet. The dough is going to be very soft and might stick to the work surface, release both ends with a pastry cutter or a thin spatula. Use both hands and carefully lift it and while stretching it to a longer and thinner rectangle (about 6 x 14) transfer it to the parchment paper on the cutting board.
- Slide the dough and parchment paper onto the hot stone. Bake for 5 minutes, turn the parchment paper a half circle and bake for another 5 minutes, until it is golden brown.
- Use oven mittens to remove the Barbari from the oven and cool on a rack.
- While the first Barbari is baking, repeat the same process for shaping the second and later the third ball of dough as explained for the first loaf.
- When the bread is cool enough to handle, brush off the extra flour from the back of the Barbaries and cut them into pieces.
- This bread is at its best flavor and texture right out of the oven. Enjoy it with feta cheese, grapes, sliced cucumbers, walnuts, olives, or sabzi khordan. Don’t forget to brew some fresh Persian tea half hour before the bread is ready!!
- Let the extra pieces cool completely before storing them in a plastic bag.
To Freeze Barbari: Wrap the cooled pieces in a heavy duty aluminum foil and place the foil it in a freezer safe bag. When ready to reheat, place the frozen bread pieces in a 400 F toaster oven for about 5 minutes, or in a preheated 400 F oven until it is heated through.
Thank you!!!
You’re so welcome dear Zubeda!!
Absolutely Marvelous! I loved reading your introduction and step by step daily life starting with queue for breakfast bread shopping. Barbari is my favorite of the Persian breads, the crunchy part and the soft part… It goes so well with everything. Nan’o panir, YUM! 😀 )))
Fae joon, Merci, Merci!! I’m very pleased with the outcome of my, what seemed like endless at some point, trials in Barbari baking.. Since Barbari is your favorite bread you should really try my recipe and see what I’m talking about 😉
Hi Homa! I cannot wait to try this. Have you had to make any adjustments for high altitude? Let me know if you are coming to Jackson this summer.
Hello Maggie, my goal was to recreate a Barbari bread with the texture and flavor that I remembered from all the wonderful loaves that I had eaten in Iran, and after many loaves I’m happy with the result. I do live in a high altitude and this recipe may or may not need adjustment for residents of other areas, and I guess we will find out from the comments 😉
Thank you, I’m guessing that we probably will visit Jackson this summer, and I will keep you posted.
هما خانم نازنین از بار پیش که عکس نان بربری در اینستاگرام گذاشته بودید مرتب سر می زدم ببینم دستورش را توی سایت گذاشته اید. امروز صبح بیدار شدم و با دیدن دستور نان بربری شما اونقدر خوشحال شدم که انگاری الان سر خیابونمون یه نانوایی بربری باز شده باشه. دست شما درد نکنه و ممنون از محبت شما که دستورهای خوبیتون رو با ما شریک می شوید. کلی ذوق دارم چون می دونم به هر حال این هفته نون بربری تازه و داغ خواهم خورد بعد از مدت ها. شاد و سلامت باشید هما خانوم.
سنجاقک عزیز، چندین و چند بار درست کردن بربری هم مثل خیلی از رسپی های من زاییده دلتنگی برای غذاها، دسرها، و نونای خوشمزه ایرونه که اینجا دستم بهشون نمیرسه! خیلی خوشحالم که همه اونایی که همین احساس منو دارن بتونن از بلاگم استفاده ببرن. ممنونم از شما دوست عزیز برای همراهی و کامنتتون!
Amazing receipe thanks so much
I’m so glad I found your recipe which is the best. I made it today and it was unbelievable. Will discover your other recipes later.
I’m a chef myself,
Thank you Homa
Dear Armin, that’s great to hear, thanks so much! Would love to read more of your comments when you try my other recipes. Have a great week and keep in touch 🙂
با سلام چطوری توی اینستا پیداتون کنم و از دستورات خوبتون استفاده کنم ؟
سلام ویدا جان ممنونم عزیزم
https://www.instagram.com/persianmamablog/
با سلام اینستا چطوری پیداتون کنم؟
Salam Homa khanom thanks for this beautiful recipe so authentic and detailed.I will try to make it with your recipe ,the pictures are very pretty too
I made one thousand sort of bread in the past half century but not our tasty and flavored Barbari I will try yours enshalla and send the report
واي چقدر اينگليسي نوشتن كالري ميسوزونه به فارسي بگم خيلي دستور خوبي دادين انشاءالله درست ميكنم دختر من يك نون و پنير جالبي درست كرد براي مهموني افطارش انشا الله تو اينستاگرام برات دايركت ميكنم موفق باشي خيلي وبلاگ خوبي داريد
Khanomealef aziz, salam!
I was so determined to bake a good noon barbari that I experimented and baked many, many barbaries in the recent weeks 🙂 and ate most of them!! But I’m finally happy to say, I love this recipe.
You have always been very supportive of my work with your input and comments, and I do thank you for that! Also thank you for sending me the picture of your daughter’s bread; so pretty and I’m sure equally delicious. I’m looking forward to reading all about your barbari.
Dear Madam
Many thanks for varieties recipes. I am really glad when I read out your recipes. I appreciate with your much penchant.
You are really fantastic.
Best regards
Mahdi
http://www.iransaffrons.com
Dear Mahdi, thank you very much for your kind words!
How wonderful to have found your site. I haven’t been able to find much Persian food since I left Iran.
My all time favorite is ob jo. I’ve been trying to make it here for forty years or so.Finally thanks to you I have the recipe. and for Barbari and fesenjun.
Dear Marcia, Welcome!! It is lovely to have you here. I’m delighted that you find my recipes useful and reminiscent of what you had in Iran! Enjoy them and please write me back and share your experience with everyone! Have a great Sunday 🙂
Dear Homa
Having come across this Barbari recipe, I think it shows your love for the food you write about. Really great!
I have a question regarding a certain part of it, the special glaze “roomal”:
I am just dealing with a bread of French origin and would like to use your “roomal” to give that French bread a bit more crispy golden colored crust. In this connection:
Can “roomal” be made ahead of schedule, shall say: is it possible to make more “roomal” than needed and then store the rest in the refrigerator until needed the next time?
If yes: How long can it be stored?
With kind regards
Mikado
Dear Mikado, thanks for your kind words! The roomal takes only a few minutes to make, but baking bread involves a lot of work, so I would not recommend taking a chance using a roomal that has been refrigerated, as it might thicken and cake over the bread. However, if you are interested to experiment I would suggest a test run with a small batch and see how it works on your bread after baking.
Hey Homa Joon. I just fished making this version of barbari for an event and it was perfect! The texture, flavor and all. It did rise as tall as the commercial ones that have baking powder and soda added into the dough, but that made it have a flakier, more bread like consistency which was incredible! Thank you so much for taking the time to put together this recipe. Out of all the barbari recipes I’ve tried thus far, this was the best!
Hello Behzad jan, so good to hear from you! I’m very happy about your success in baking this barbari recipe. Thank you very much for writing to me and please keep in touch. Have a fantastic weekend 🙂
Best recipe for a perfect Barbari… could not imagine I could make this bread to its authentic and best taste! Thank you for your step-by-step guide, as well as little tips of do’s and do not’s! My wife now expects me to make barbari every other day!
The only little change I made, and it worked very well for me, was to sprinkle my baking stone by coarse cornmeal powder before laying down the bread.
Once again, thank you for your perfect recipe!
Dear Ehsan, thank you for writing to me, and you’re most welcome! It is so good to hear that this recipe will become a regular at your house 😉 Sprinkling cornmeal on the stone is a great idea; thanks for sharing this. Have a great Saturday and please keep in touch!
Dear Homa
Do you have a recipe for Sangak bread too?? After this I only trust your recipes… I have not been able to find a good one for this yet!
Thank you!
Thank you for the word of confidence dear Ehsan, I really appreciate it! I don’t have a recipe for Sangak yet, but when I come up with a recipe that I like, I will definitely post it 🙂
Thank you oh my goodness fantastic barbari bliss!!! I’ve missed it so much! I followed your instructions TO THE LETTER and was not let down!!! I had to share your recipe (linked it to Facebook) with my friends who lived in Tehran same time I did: 1974-1978. They will be thrilled! I’m gonna go make some more. You are amazing and wonderful.
Dear MarLynn you’re so very welcome! I’m really happy that the recipe has been to your liking.The goal of my blog is to share delicious recipes with all the food lovers, and I appreciate you sharing this recipe with your friends and spreading the word. I thank you for your kind words and hope that you will enjoy my other recipes as well. Please keep in touch and have a great week!
I feel the need to comment on all your food posts I try because you should deserve recognition in all the delicious foods you teach us! Absolutely delicious Barbari that was devoured both cold and fresh out of the ovw . Cheers! ?
Dear Asiya, I really appreciate your comments. I always tell all of my followers that the comments and recipe ratings help me have a better understanding of what is liked and how the recipes work for everyone. I do thank you and I’m glad the barbari was another success! Please keep me up to date with your messages when you try any of my recipes 🙂
Thank you vetry much for the recipe!
Can I ask how much is 1 cup? and what the difference between all purpose flour and Bread flour?
You’re welcome Anna. 1 cup of flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces, which is 120 grams.
The bread flour has more gluten and it produces elasticity and chewiness in this bread. The Barbari bread made with bread flour has an airy texture with visible holes inside the baked bread which is the texture I look for in a traditional barbari. I’ve also made this recipe with all-purpose flour, it rises more than the flour bread with a dense texture and not as tasty.
ba salam ,
bebakhshid manzor az bread flour hamon Whole-Wheat Flour hast?
Salam Hamideh jan;
Bread flour ba wheat flour yeki nist. Mazash baray barbari behtareh va chon khamiresh khoob poof mikoneh dakhel e barbari sabok va aali misheh. Ba hamin esm e bread flour toye frooshgah hast. movafagh bashi aziz.
mercy homaye aziz.
man inja bishtar all perpose and whole wheat and self rising flour didam. inbar degat mikonam ta bread flour ro biabam.
baz ham sepas.
خواهش میکنم عزیز، امیدوارم پیدا کنی
Hi Homa, I enjoyed reading your piece on Barbari Bread. It took me back to the time I grow up in Iran when I used to go to the bakery every evening to buy the bread, and I had to buy extra loaf since by the time I was home most the bread was gone. I do bake and I use my sourdough starter to bake sourdough bread. Do you think I can use my stater to bake this bread?
Hello Fereidoun; it is lovely how all of us share memories of our homeland and not surprisingly, food has something to do with most of them 😉
I love sourdough bread but it has a distinct flavor, and I’m not sure how your starter will alter the flavor of barbari. However, I believe that many amazing recipes have been discovered by trial; so good luck and let me know how it turns out!
سلام
ايا براتون امكانش هست كه دستور تهيه رو به فارسي هم بگذاريد
ممنون
سلام عزیز، بله دارم روش کار میکنم و امیدوارم همین چند روزه پستش کنم
سلام هما جان؛
من این نون رو درست کردم و بسی لذت بردیم و براتون مهر فرستادیم و کسی دیگه سراغ نون تست نمیره و درخواست بالا گرفته، فقط یک سوال طبق دستور باید نون ها رو یکی یکی داخل فر بذاریم. آیا اگر دوعدد نان را باهم داخل فر بذاریم در کیفیت پخت خللی وارد میشه؟
باز هم ممنون
سلام حمیده جان، نوش جان دوست عزیز. فکر نمیکنم اشکالی داشته باشه، مدت پخت ممکنه کمی بیشتر بشه تا .خوب سرخ بشن
I followed your recepie today and baked this tasty bread! The outcome was awesome! Thank you very much for sharing your valuable experiences with us!
Dear Laleh, I’m very glad to hear that and you’e very welcome! Thank you for letting me know.
Lovely bread. Easy to make in breadmaker.
I used half cup cold water 1_tsp olive oil 1 tsp salt 1 TBS flour for glazed. Stirred together brought to simmer sticking til thickened. No soda.
Had to adjust water in dough. Turned onto an oiled board after proving and rolled two breads to size.
Otherwise followed instructions exactly.
A superb bread.
Thank you.
Hi Sandra, it’s my pleasure, and thank you for your comment! I’m happy to hear that the bread was delicious with the changes that you’ve made. It’s very helpful to know about the use of breadmaker.
The perfect bread for breakfast! <3 <3 <3 I want to make this one too!
I and all the Iranians agree with you 😉 Yayy, you will be happy you did; let me know if you have any questions!
Hi you dont mention if yeast needs to be combined in water and let stand for 5 minutes? Or if you just add dry yeast to flower?
Hi Nas, that has been mentioned in the printable recipe as well as the illustrated part of the post. Please review the post.
خيلى ممنون براى اين دستور عالى. من طبق دستورتون درست كردم و كلى با همسرم ازش لذت برديم.
سونا جان خواهش میکنم، خیلی خوشحالم که مورد پسند شما و همسرتون بوده؛ نوش جون! ممنونم که زحمت کشیدین برام پیغام فرستادین. روز خوبی داشته باشین
I’m 100% American, but I love baking. My boyfriend is originally from Kermanshah but came to the US to finish his Master’s and PhD. Where we live in Tennessee there is NO Persian anything. I found this recipe and it is now a staple (along with a Turkish baklava recipe) I make for him about every two weeks or so. He loves it (and I do too). I don’t use a dough hook, I just knead by hand and it turns out great. We are going to meet his family in Dubai for Christmas, and he wants me to make this for them! Thanks for your perfectly detailed instructions. ?
Hello Beth; so good to hear from you! I loved reading your kind comment; it makes me happy to know that my barbari recipe has been successful for a fellow baker, and it has been approved by a fellow countryman 😉 Have a wonderful time in Dubai, and I’m confident your barbari will impress everyone. Thanks for writing to me and please keep in touch. Have a great weekend!
Hi Homa joon,
Today, I made barbari with your recipe. It turned out perfect. My husband makes bread for years but we had a bake off today and I won. He definitely agrees that your recipe is better than his. I took a picture but seems like I can’t upload it here. Anyway, thank you and if you come to Cali, please visit us in San Diego?
Hello Hengameh joon; so good to hear from you! I enjoyed reading about your bake off and your win 😉 I really want to see your picture; the website does not have that capability, but you will be able to post it to my Facebook page. Thank you for the invite; I would love to meet you! Thank you so much for writing to me and have a great weekend!
Hi Homa,
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. We are planning on making this for a dinner party and were wondering if we could make the dough a day or two in advance and bake it just before serving. How long do you think the dough would last in the fridge before baking it or does it need to be baked immediately?
Thank you so much!
Hi Jon; I have never tried making the dough in advance and refrigerating it, so I don’t know how this would alter the texture of the bread. However, I have baked the bread in advance and frozen it and reheated it shortly before serving, with very good results. This is the technique that most people use in Iran, since it is not possible for everyone to stand in bread lines on a daily basis. I have explained ‘how to freeze barbari’ in my notes at the end of the printable recipe. I hope this works for you and please let me know if you have any questions.
Hi! I really miss this barbati bread..? It is the best for me. I was rised in Iran for 4 years, and then we moved in my mother country. I have a big big problem, if you can help me pleeeeease! ?? I don’t know how i an measure this ‘cups thing’.. i just know it in grams.. i really want to understand it, but i don t know how exactly?
Hello Melina; the measurements may be converted from cups/ounces to grams by using google search. Since a cup of different ingredients has a different weight, you will need to specify the ingredient. For example: ‘how many grams in a cup of all-purpose flour’ will result in: A cup of all-purpose flour weighs 120 grams. While a cup of sugar converted to gram equals to 200.00 g. You will be able to convert also using this table: https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/weight/ounce-to-gram.html
I hope this helps. Happy baking 🙂
Thank you so much for the answer ♥️
Thank you so much for bringing the taste of Iran to the U.S.
I just made it today and everyone went crazy over it. Perfect recipe and great instructions!
Your’re very welcome Caroline! Thanks for writing to me; I’m very happy your barbari was a success. Please keep in touch and let me know when you try more favorite recipes from Iran.
Dear Homa,
thank you so very much for this recipe, it really worked. I have been trying to make soft white bread with a crust for years and had many times given up and started again, because it smells good, it feels good but the results were too hard or too yeasty or not crisp. Your recipe really worked, we are very happy with the result.
Though I have struggled with the measurements a bit, sitting in Germany, and wondering what is a cup. There are a few suggestions in the net, but which one is right? It helped that you described the texture of the dough, so I added more water till it resembled yours, that did the trick. Thank you again very much, we will have this bread again, and as it only takes an hour to make, we’ll have it for breakfast one of these days
Have a lovely day
Petra
Hello Petra; I enjoyed reading your comment and I’m delighted that you are pleased with this recipe. The measuring cup that is used in the States is technically 8 ounces (240 ml) but when measured with a scale, different ingredients have a different weight. When searching for the weight of any particular item on the web, for accurate measures, mention the specific ingredient (such as flour, sugar, powdered sugar…).
http://www.veg-world.com/articles/cups.htm
https://www.weekendbakery.com/cooking-conversions/
These charts provide baking and cooking conversions and the different weighs in grams. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any further questions. Have a great week 🙂
Hi. Just happened to see this recipe. From the reviews it seems it must be a hit. Just reading it at work, will try at home.
Hi Mandy; yes, I’m thrilled that so many of my dear readers have been able to master this beautiful bread on their first try; that makes this Mama very proud 😉
I would love to read your input after you make it. Thanks for writing to me!
Wowee! Really good barbari bread! Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it Catherine 🙂
I miss Barbari so much!! One of the other commenters mentioned having to buy an extra one, as it would be gone before getting home – this was true for my sister and I too… I spent almost 3 very happy years of my childhood in Tehran, attending the British School, then Rustam Abadian, and remember those years often. I am definitely going to try your recipe just as soon as I can find bread flour here in Bulgaria. I’ll keep you posted…
You mentioned following you on FaceBook – how will I find you on there?
Hello Dear Christine; I know what you mean about missing barbari! I missed it so much that I had to create a recipe that would do the Iranian barbari justice. I tried many recipes with different flours and ingredients, until I came up with this one! You will love it! I’m so happy to meet you here; thank you for sharing your fond memories of living in Iran! Thanks for your interest in following me on Facebook, here is my page: https://www.facebook.com/persianmama/
Please keep in touch and have a great week 🙂
I’ve seen many barbari recipes, and they all need to rise for about an hour or so, why does this bread on require 10 mins?
I’ve seen many barbari recipes and all of them require 1 hour or more of rising, why does this recipe only require just 10 mins?
Hi Mina; please read the entire recipe one more time. The 10 minutes you’re referring to is to activate the yeast; the dough will be allowed to rest and proof again in the following steps. Please let me know if you have any questions.
I made it and I absolutely loved it. It was my first ever bread, and because I like to challenge myself I decided to surprise my husband and his family with Noon Barbari. I am from Poland and two weeks ago when I came back from Esfahan to UK after 1month holiday in Iran I missed the proper iranian breakfast so much that I decided to make Barbari for first time. To be honest I can cook more iranian dishes than polish. Baba and my husband said the bread was delicious, they had all 3 breads in one hour after I took it out from the oven. Now they asking for more. Thank you soooo much for this amazing recipe. 100% recommended.
Hello Ewelina; thank you so much for sharing this comment! I’m very happy that all of you have enjoyed this recipe, 3 in one hour sounds familiar! I was also in Iran a few months ago (also visited Esfahan and loved it) and had my share of daily fresh barbari; too many to count 😉 Please keep in touch; my regards to your family!
Dear Homa, we are getting together with our Iranian friends this weekend to cook together. They will teach us how to make Fesenhan.
I thought it would be nice if I would surprise them with an Iranian Flatbread and stumbled over your post. Which caught bud because of your beautifully told memories yiu connect with this bread.
I also noticed you mentioned that in Iran they use a sourdough.
Do you by chance know how sourdough is made in Iran. Maybe it’s the same as elsewhere – flour+water fermented?
If so, do you also have the recipe where the sourdough is used instead of commercial yeast?
I would love to try this bread the way you described in your memories.
Thanks for sharing your story and the recipe.
Stephanie
Dear Stephanie; I really appreciate your nice comment; I wish there was a barbari bakery near my house; I would probably eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner 😉
A cooking party is such a fantastic idea, have a great time. I would love to read your comment after baking this bread. Unfortunately I don’t have the recipe for the nanavaii sourdough recipe; I would imagine it’s the same starter as everywhere else. Please keep in touch and have a fun weekend.
I tried this recipe today
I went crazy about it
Finally i baked Barbari naan ????☺️
Thank u so much
U made it so easy to do
Dearest Layla; so nice of you to write to me! It’s always a pleasure when my lovely readers share comments about their experience. Noosh e jan and please keep in touch ?
Hi Homa,
Thanks for this beautiful recipe so authentic and looks delicious.
I am a beginner in this and would love to try your Barbari recipe.
Just a quick question please and I would appreciate your answer and advice.
Is your recipe based on UK or US or Metric measurements please?
Regards
Nathan
Hello Nathan; I’m glad that you’re going to make this recipe. I use the standard US measures. Thanks for your comment and please keep in touch!
Happy baking 🙂
Many thanks Homa. I can’t wait to try it out. Best wishes Nathan.
Homa joon,
I am so happy I found your barbari recipe today! I’ve always wanted to try making it at home and I finally got the chance today! It came out PERFECTLY!!! My husband and I moved our little family to Tucson a few years ago from Chicago and unfortunately there aren’t many stores here that sell Persian supplies, much less our breads. We always have to wait for family to visit to bring us batches that we freeze and savor for as long as we can. Now I can make our own barbari and even use it to entertain our family when they come to town!
I’m so glad I found your site! I’ll be back to try your other recipes!
Dearest Orchid; welcome to my blog; glad to have you here! It is a pleasure to know that your barbari turned out awesome, and that my recipe will have a role at your family parties 😉
Please keep in touch and let me know when you try more recipes. My regards to your family! Happy cooking 🙂
Thank you for the lovely recipe. It seemed a bit complicated at first read, but it was quite simple to do in practice. I told my persian friend that I found this recipe and maybe he’d like to try to make it with me. So we decided to try it, and it turned out brilliant! He has not had barbari in three years, as there are no bakeries in Finland that bake this lovely bread.
Hello Tuula! It’s wonderful to read your message here! That sounds like such a fun time baking with your Persian friend! I hope you two will try more of my recipes and write to me again! I really appreciate your comment ?
Just tried this recipe for the first time and ended up with the best Barbari I have ever had. My friend and family were very impressed. Thanks a lot for this, as well as other yummy recipes!
Hello Amir; that is wonderful to hear dear friend! I’m very happy that you have pleased your family and friends with your barbari! Thanks so much for writing to me. Please keep in touch and share your feedback when you try my other recipes. Wish you a fun time in the kitchen 🙂
Thanks dear Homa! This recipe is the best ever Babari recipe ??
My pleasure dear Bayan, glad you like it 🙂
Made this today and it turned out amazing. The smell of the bread made me feel so nostalgic. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Got so many compliments too 🙂
Thanks for writing to me dear Ghazal! It is wonderful to hear that you’ve enjoyed this recipe. I know what you mean about the aroma, there is nothing like it! Please keep in touch 🙂
Perfect recipe . The outcome was real Barbari the whole family loved it . Just a little bit salty for me but i think it depends on the salt you are using
Thanks for your comment dear Niloufar! Yes, kosher salt is a bit less salty than the table salt by volume! It is good to know that next time you can adjust it to your taste. Have a great weekend 🙂
My oven heats from the bottom. It is a regular electric oven. I don’t have a bread stone.
How can I bake it in a baking sheet? Which rack- middle perhaps- and what temperature and how long it needs on a baking sheet?
Should I put the backing sheet in the oven to pre-heat or directly put the dough with it when ready to bake?
Do you suggest bowl of water in the oven to make steam as well?
Thank you
Dear Rana,
If you have been able to bake cake and cookies in your oven, you’ll be able to bake this Barbari. Preheat the oven to 500 F and center rack. You could use the back of a baking sheet or a cast iron skillet (smaller barbaries) instead of the pizza stone. You will still need to preheat the baking sheet before putting the dough on it.Your bread might need a minute or so less time to bake if it is baked on the sheet, or if it is made into smaller loaf, so watch it closely.
I don’t add a bowl of water in the oven with this bread. Happy Baking 😉
Dear Homa
Thank you soooooo much for answering my question. I saw your reply just on time! I have prepared the dough and leaving it to rest. Came to see what temperature you recommended in your recipe and found your answer!
Thank you.
I finally made your Barbari today and it turned out really great. Your instructions are very detailed and so I had no trouble making it. I have tried to put a picture here but the copy paste function isn’t working for me, sorry. I did put a pic on Cook, Bake, Share on FB, though. Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful recipes with us!
I’m glad to hear that dear Pat! Thanks so much for letting me know. The website does not have the capability, but I thank you for the beautiful pic that you’ve shared to Persian Mama group. Please take care of yourself and keep in touch 🙂
Absolutely my favorite Persian bread. As a child , I remember the bread man riding up and down our street in Tehran yelling “Nooni, nooni”- it was hot and delicious. Thank you for this wonderful recipe and instructions!
Hi Kathy, you’ll love this bread. I would love to read your feedback after you bake it. Happy baking 😉
Homa-
Merci ,merci for this wonderful recipe-I made it this morning – it is delicious and very easy to make-I had it with feta, grapes and hummus for lunch. What a wonderful memory from my childhood and days in Tehran!
Dearest Kathy, you’re making me hungry 😉 Love all the food that you’ve enjoyed with your fresh Barbari! I’m delighted that my recipe has brought back good memories for you. Please take care and keep in touch.
Salam Homa jan, I’m very keen to impress my Iranian mother-in-law who is staying with during this lockdown period and really want to make some great barbari but I don’t have a pizza stone or stand mixer – is it possible to do this without? What would be your recommendations?
Many thanks!
Salam Tom jan, you have a very lucky mothar zan! She will really appreciate this 😉 You will be able to bake this on the back of a baking sheet; it might take couple of minutes less time to bake. You also will be able to mix this by hand with a sturdy wooden spoon. It should take about 8-10 min from start to finish! When the dough looks uniformly sticky and almost elastic without any trace of dry flour, it is ready. Would love to read your feedback. Take care!
I am not professional baker. I tried follow your barbari recipe style and made a wonderful end up. My family appreciate it. thanks Homa for this.
Hi Safa, this is wonderful!! Thanks so much for letting me know. My regards to you and your lovely family. Please keep in touch 🙂
Homa joon,
Thank you so much for recipe! You made it so easy for me & my my husband team work. Better than all of recipes I’ve ever used!
It is a pleasure to hear from you dear Mahnaz! I’m very happy that the two of you have been baking this recipe together and like it as much as we do! Please keep safe and keep in touch 🙂
Barbari mikuram!!!
I lived in Teheran in 1975-1976, and only just visited again last June in the heat of the US-Iran tit-for-tat. At arrival from the airport, the first thing I asked for was barbari and I must have eaten the whole piece of it! It was also the last meal I ate before leaving too 🙂 I love barbari of all breads from near and far. I was looking at pictures yesterday and decided to look for a barbari recipe, and found this. I made this just now- and it turned out very well, and will definitely make again soon! Moteshakeram
(I would post a picture but I can’t seem to do that)
Dear Pam, hello! How nice to hear from you. It is unfortunate how things have changed in our world. I remember the time that travelling to other countries used to be easy, joyful and exciting 🙁
I love barbari and I do the same thing every time I visit Iran! I’m really happy to hear that you like it. Khahesh mikonam doost e aziz!
I would love to see your picture. The website does not have that capability but you could send it to me through direct message on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/persianmamablog
You could also post it to my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/persianmama/
Please keep in touch and stay safe
I made this bread yesterday and it was delicious! I used AP Flour (I know, very against your advice!!) and it turned out well, though I have not eaten this bread much, besides a few times in a restaurant, so I cannot say if it still had the authentic taste. I will definitely try this with Bread Flour, if I can get my hands on it! (2020 coronavirus is limiting my options). I am making a lot of your recipes lately and they are are fabulous!
Hi Rose, it is wonderful to hear from you again. Your support and participation is priceless, thank you 🙂
When I posted this recipe we had the luxury of choosing from several different 5-pound bags on a full shelf! But that was then this is now; these days we’re lucky if we find any kind of flour 😉 I have also made this barbari with AP flour before and you’re right it is still very good. The bread flour gives it a bit more airy texture. Hope to hear from you again when you try my other recipes. Happy cooking and baking dear friend!
Hi Homa joon, thanks for your recipe, it looks amazing, I’m going to do it shortly.
Is there any chance to have your recipe in Persian version for my brother who’s in Germany, as, he doesn’t understand English!
Thank you.
Cheers
Séda
Hi Seda jan, it is a pleasure my dear, hope you like it. Unfortunately I do not have the recipe in Persian. Someone else with this issue told me she and her friend baked this barbari together using a phone video app, just a thought 😉
Dear Ms Homa,
Thank you for the step by step recipe. Have you made Barbari with sourdough starter instead of yeast? I am very interested in modifying your recipe to make Barbari with sourdough starter. Any thoughts?
Hi Mani, you’re so welcome! I have only used yeast in this recipe. But would love to hear back from you with your sourdough method. Have a great weekend 🙂
I was also wondering the same thing! Let me know if you try it out 🙂
Best recipe for noon barbari. Makes delicious bread looking just like the photos. Thank you.
Hello Narges jan, thanks so much for your feedback! I’m so happy you have enjoyed this recipe. Please keep in touch. Happy baking 🙂
Bets Barbari ever, thanks for sharing!
Dear Zeinab, it is my pleasure! I’m happy that you’ve enjoyed this barbari recipe. Please keep in touch.
Hi there! Can I use instant yeast in place of the dry yeast? If so, how much?
Thank you for this recipe! We are going to attempt it in the next day or so.
Hello Afsaneh, yes instant yeast will work the same as the active dry yeast but quicker. It takes less time to get frothy and in general less time to proof.
I have tried several recipes online and this is by far the best. Whoever tried my bread told me that it took them back to Iran and fresh morning barbari from the bakers. Both me and my non-Iranian partner have baked barbari with this recipe many times and we are loving it!
Thank you very much for sharing it with us!
Dear Mahbu, it is wonderful to hear from you! I’m so happy that both of you bake this Barbari frequently. It is my pleasure to share this treat with every barbari fan who is away from Iran and craves our amazing bread! Please keep in touch and have a great week 🙂
Loved the outcome of this well written, step by step, recipe!
I Shared the bread and everyone agreed its authenticity.
Thank you and can’t wait to make it again.
Merci Nastaran jan! Thanks so much for your comment. Much love to all of you who have enjoyed this bread! Noosh-e jan 🙂 Take care and please keep in touch…
I made this today and it was delicious! I’m just a perfectionist, and noted that mine wasn’t as airy as in the picture. I followed the recipe perfectly, any suggestions what I could do next time to get the same airy texture?
Hi Daniels, I’m glad you liked the taste of this Barbari bread! I developed this recipe after weeks of trial and eating several loaves of bread 😉 I have included every possible do’s and don’ts in my recipe. But baking is a science and many factors such as the freshness of the yeast, the oven temperature, and even the humidity in the air could effect the result. The denser texture usually indicates either old yeast or low temperature. Some ovens do not heat up accurately. The temperature that you see on the digital display might not correspond to the actual temperature inside the oven. You could check this by placing a small thermometer inside the oven and preheat it. Once the oven is preheated and the digital display beeps, check the temperature on the small thermometer and if different, you might need to adjust it. More than anything though, the more you bake this recipe, the better it is going to get. Happy Baking 🙂
Salaam Homa Khanoom:
Kheyli mamnoon! Daste dard nakonad!
I just made this and was very fearful due to the stickiness and wet dough. Fortunately it came out great…just as you indicated. However, I am not at a high altitude and think I needed to either use a little more flour or a little less water. My dough could not stay in a ball. So I did what I could with it as gently as possible and was pleasantly surprised. After the first one, I moved and then shaped the next two on the parchment paper. That worked better. Since altitude makes a difference and you said that your recipe was developed based on a higher elevation, at what altitude are you located? I will use that info to make an adjustment on my next batch.
Merci!
Dear Dawn, I’m really happy that despite a sticky dough your Barbari baked well. As I have mentioned on my Instagram response this is a very sticky dough, but if your dough was more sticky than what I have tried to capture in my pictures, you could very well decrease the water by couple of tablespoons. I live in a 5000 feet elevation. I would love to read your feedback when you bake this again with some changes.
My husband and I are addicted to this bread! I’ve been making it with everything that needs bread. We love that it’s a great dinner bread and the leftovers are a perfect breakfast bread, just add fruit and eggs 😀
Thanks for sharing these recipes, I’m lucky enough to live by an international grocery store where I can find all the right ingredients and have an almost authentic experience without ever leaving your house. Middle Eastern cuisine is my favorite by far, of all the cuisines I’ve tried so far, it’s like a whole culture of comfort foods.
Hello and thank you Chloe! I am truly happy to learn that my Barbari has found a regular place on your menu! I know you’ll find many comfort foods on my blog and I hope you try them and keep me posted with hour feedback. Enjoy it in good health my friend and keep in touch 🙂
Great recipe! I have tried a few of your recipes and they have always been great. The noone Barbari came out amazing! It was even better than when I buy it from the Persian bakery.
I was a little concerned with how sticky the dough was but I just kept going and it was perfect. Thank you for such a detailed and well pictured recipe.
Hi Simon, it is so good to hear that you are enjoying my recipes! And that you have followed this one exactly, despite the sticky dough. I have tried to emphasize the importance of not adding extra flour, no matter how tempting it might be, but alas some people do not listen 😉 Thanks so much for writing to me, enjoy this bread in good health, write me when you try my other recipes, and take care
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
It is not only perfect with Persian food, but
it makes a very delicious pizza crust!
Dear June, thanks very much for your comment. I am really happy that you like this bread. Yes, it is amazing as a pizza crust too!
Please take care and keep in touch
You’re a goddess Homa jan! I made this with my partner and it came out divine! I’m a British Iranian but remember the traditional Persian breads from my childhood. Your recipe is just like those breads. We could tell you put so much love and time in this recipe. Thank you and please continue your lovely work.
Dearest Jamie, how very nice of you to send this thoughtful comment! Thanks for your attention, I did actually bake several loaves over a period of many weeks and kept making adjustments until I was able to create a similar flavor and texture that our barbari in Iran has.
I appreciate your support and hope you will enjoy more of my recipes. Please take care and have a great Sunday 🙂
Hi, how would I bake this bread without a pizza stone?
Hi Ailuy, you could invert a cast iron griddle or skillet on the oven rack and bake your bread on that. You could also invert a large baking sheet and use it the same way. Keep an eye on your bread as the time may vary. If you feel the bread is browning too fast, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees for your next loaf. Good luck and let me know how this works for you 🙂