Saj Bread is a thin dough disk cooked on a hot iron surface in order to come out fluffy and delicious. Homemade Saj Bread is fairly easy to make and takes less time than your trip to the grocery store to buy it. 

Saj Bread has been a quintessential staple of my nomad life. Having lived in 9 cities across 5 continents, I’ve always used food to connect with diverse cultures in foreign lands. One of my ongoing traditions is hosting new friends and acquaintances over Shawarma and/or Ta’amia (Egyptian vegan fritters). Hence, mastering homemade Saj Bread has been paramount to complement the food experience I wish to give to my guests.

Approved and hailed by an eclectic foodie tribe, the Saj Bread recipe I am sharing below is a must-try.

Saj Bread Made Perfect 

Introducing Saj Bread, the essential 1/4-inch disk used as a wrap for ​Shawarma (chicken or beef) and Falafel. This thin yet sturdy bread is perfect for spreading with Toum or Tahini, adding fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, and topping it off with flavorful Shawarma or crispy Falafel. To seal the deal, a quick press in the panini machine brings all the delicious ingredients together seamlessly.

In my book, an ideal flatbread should be pliable enough to make wraps, not get soggy when spread with sauce like hummus or toum, get perfectly crispy when toasted in the panini machine, stand the test of both the fridge and freezer, and could be baked on the stovetop.

Ingredients to Make Saj Bread

• All-purpose Flour: Saj Bread uses all-purpose white flour as the main ingredient since it makes it fluffier, more tender, and pliable than if the bread is made of whole wheat flour alone. 
• Whole Wheat Flour: The addition of wheat flour imparts a richer flavor to the Saj Bread and lends it a denser and heartier texture. 
• Salt: Adding fine salt to the dough elevates the taste.
• Dry Yeast: Red Star has been my go-to brand of dry yeast, and I buy it in bulk from Costco and keep it in the freezer so it lasts longer. 
• Warm Water: Water temperature should be warm to the touch, not hot and not cold, to activate the yeast. Our Egyptian matriarchs used to describe it as warm as an eye tear. 
• Warm Milk: The fluffiness and pliability of this bread goes to the addition of milk to knead the dough. The milk should not be cold nor hot, “just as warm as an eye tear,” Egyptian women say.
• Sugar or Honey: Either sugar or honey is essential to activate the yeast and make the dough rise, which lends the Saj Bread its fluffiness.  
• Oil: You can either use vegetable oil or olive oil to wipe the container before you add the dough to rise and also to drizzle over the dough ball itself so it doesn’t form a skin. 

How to Make Saj Bread 

Making Saj Bread is straightforward and doesn’t require any special tricks. Just head to the recipe below and you will be enchanted with the final results. 

Step 1: Proof Yeast 

Mix the dry yeast, warm water, and sugar or honey in a glass container and let it sit for five minutes on your kitchen counter until it becomes foamy and frothy.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients 

Sift together the dry ingredients: salt, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour over a sizable container or in the container of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment.

Step 2: Mix in the Wet Ingredients 

In case you are hand-kneading the dough, then make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and slowly pour the frothy yeast mixture into the dry ingredients, followed by the warm milk. Combine the ingredients together and knead for no less than 10 minutes until a soft dough comes together.  

If you are using a stand mixer, then run the machine at a low speed while pouring the frothy yeast mixture, followed by the warm milk. Increase the stand mixer speed to medium when all the ingredients are well incorporated, and let it knead the dough for 10 minutes or until a soft homogeneous ball comes together. 

Step 3: Let the Dough Rise 

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large container. Cover it with a stretch tite and/or a clean tea towel, and let it rest in a warm spot in your kitchen. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

Step 4: Shape the Saj Bread

With the help of a dough knife, divide the dough into 8 portions of equal size. Pinch the ends of each portion to make a dough ball. Dust them lightly with flour, and let them rest for 20 minutes covered on your kitchen counter. With a rolling pin, roll each dough ball to a thin dish of 1/4-inch and let them rest again for 15 minutes until you heat your cast iron pan or griddle. 

Step 5: Bake Saj Bread on a Stovetop 

On medium-high heat on the stovetop, heat a flipped cast iron large pan or a Chinese wok.  Carefully lay one Saj Bread disk at a time on the hot surface of the heated pan or wok. Once you start seeing bubbles, flip it on the other side. Once you start seeing brown spots on the bread, remove it and let it rest, covered with a clean tea towel. Repeat the same steps with the rest of the Saj disks. Don’t stack the baked bread disks while they are hot, or they will stick to one another. Keep them separated on a flat surface to release the steam residue.

Step 6: Serve or Store 

You can serve the Saj Bread immediately while it is still warm or store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat the Saj Bread, place it on a preheated iron or non-stick pan for 30 seconds on each side. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Question 

• Q1: Why does homemade bread turn out stiff and break when we roll it?

A stiff Saj Bread is a sign that it doesn’t have enough fat; therefore, replace water with whole milk or cashew milk when you make the Saj Bread dough.

• Q2: How to reheat Saj Bread?

The best way to reheat the Saj Bread is on a preheated pan for 30 seconds on each side. 

• Q3: I followed the recipe, yet the dough came out dry and had cracks in it. 

Dust the dough balls lightly with flour and keep them covered with a clean tea cloth or plastic wrap while they rest.

Saj Bread is Freezer Friendly & Make-Ahead 

Saj Bread is an excellent freezer asset. You make the dough, roll it out, and then separate the different dough disks with parchment paper. 

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Saj Bread(Flat Bread): خبز الصاج

Recipe adapted from Chef Manal Alalem

Makes 8 bread pieces

TOOLS 

• Flour sifter 
• Stand Mixer 
• Rolling Pin 
• Cast Iron Pan 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups white flour 
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast 
• 3/4 cup water, warm (more if needed)
• 1/2 cup milk, warm (for a non-dairy option, use almond or cashew milk)
• 1 tablespoon of oil (vegetable or olive oil), for drizzling over the dough before it rises. 

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the dry ingredients: Sift all the dry ingredients over a sizable bowl of a stand mixer or regular deep bowl.
2. Make the dough: In case you are hand-kneading the dough, then make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and slowly pour the frothy yeast mixture into the dry ingredients, followed by the warm milk. Combine the ingredients together and knead for no less than 10 minutes until a soft dough comes together.  
3. Let the dough rise: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large container. Cover it with a stretch tite and/or a clean tea towel, and let it rest in a warm spot in your kitchen. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
4. Shape the dough: When the dough has doubled in size, cut it into eight equal pieces. Pinch the ends together and use the palm of your hand to shape them into small balls. Cover them again and let them rest for at least 30 minutes. Fold out each ball into disks using a rolling pin (the thickness is optional, yet I like mine pretty thin). Pile the dough disks on top of one another, separated by squares of parchment paper. Let them rest for at least one hour. At this point, you can either freeze them or proceed to the next step.
5. Bake the Saj Bread: Lay the bread disk on the preheated domed back of a wok or a cast iron pan. When you see the bubbles on the surface of the bread, flip on the other side. Remove the bread once you start to see light brown spots on the bread. Don’t overbake the bread so it doesn’t dry out.
6. Serve or store: You can serve the Saj Bread immediately while it is still warm or store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat the Saj Bread, place it on a preheated iron or non-stick pan for 30 seconds on each side. Enjoy!