Fatir; A Sweet Iranian Bread for Breakfast

Fatir is a bread whose dough is not brewed. Fatir’s origin goes back to the East Azarbaijan province of Iran and the city of Sarab.

Breads baked in this city are at their best in terms of variety and deliciousness. This bread has a special roughness. Some of the sweets that are cooked in some cities of Iran are also called Fatir.

Ingredients for Fatir Bread

• Warm Water: ½ Cup
• Sifted Flour: 4 Cups
• Hot Water: 2 Cups
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Sugar: 2 tbsps
• Yeast: 2 tsp
• Liquid Oil: 1 tbsps
• Sesame: A little (for garnishing)
• Crushed Walnut: 1 Cup
• Cinnamon: 2 tbsps
• Sugar for Filling: ½ Cup

Fatir Bread Recipe

Mix the yeast with a tablespoon of sugar and warm water (40C) and place in a relatively warm place to puff. Then, mix a cup of flour with the rest of the sugar, salt and warm water and after 10 minutes add to the mixture and wait for another 10 minutes. Now, add the liquid oil and stir.

Add the rest of the flour little by little to the mixture and stir till it turns into sourdough. Knead the dough until it does not stick to the hands. Cover the prepared dough and place it in a relatively warm place for two hours until it doubles in volume. Preheat the oven to 175 C or 350 F.

Mix walnuts, sugar and cinnamon to use for the filling. Cover a smooth surface with some flour, remove 100 g of dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. Then, put some walnut and sugar mixture in the middle of the bread and gather the dough around it.

Then spread it by hand. Place the sweet bread on a greased tray for 10 minutes. Then, apply a little oil on the dough and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place the tray in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. If the dough sticks to your hands, add a little flour and liquid oil in addition to the given measurements to eliminate the stickiness of it.

Additional Points for Baking Fatir Bread:

1. If you do not have an oven, you can use a large skillet and apply some oil on it before putting Fatir dough rounds inside. Now wait a little for the Fatirs to form bubbles and for their bottom side to turn gold before flipping them to let the other side get baked.

2. If the dough sticks to the hand, add some wheat flour and oil in addition to the ingredients to remove the stickiness.

3. If you are not sure you Fatir dough is ready, you can take time to raise the dough beforehand.

4. Wrap the Fatir breads in a cloth napkin after baking so that it softens.

5. You can add some ginger to Fatirs.

6. How sweet your Fatirs would be depends on your taste so you can add less sugar than mentioned in recipes.

7. For the stuffing of the Stuffed Ardebil Fatirs or those of any other city, roast 100 grams of wheat flour in the skillet, let it golden bake to remove the raw taste and then add some 100 grams of butter and some sugar and stir.

When preparing the dough rounds, choose the size at will and press the middle to form a hollow where you should place the stuffing. Then once again round the dough and press with a rolling pin.

Why Fatir breads get dry?

Adding too much flour makes the bread dry and prevents the dough from puffing up. Placing a bowl of water inside the oven creates moisture that makes your breads softer.