Shared by Einat Admony
Shared by Einat Admony
Kubaneh (Yemenite Overnight Bread)
Yield: 4-6 servings
Kubaneh (Yemenite Overnight Bread)
Yield: 4-6 servingsFamily Journey
Yemen and IranB'nei Brak, Israel
New York
The magic of the Yemenite overnight bread kubaneh is the scent that fills a kitchen on Shabbat morning, explains chef and cookbook author Einat Admony. The bread is traditionally baked for 12 hours, taking on a unique and deep flavor.
Einat comes from a long line of women who have made it. When she was little, her grandmother Sara baked kubaneh for the family and later, it was her mother Ziona who took over the responsibility.
Born in Iran and raised in part by an Iraqi family, Ziona learned to prepare Yemenite dishes as an adult. My mom married a Yemenite [man] and had to learn everything — every sauce and ever soup for Friday night," Einat shares.
Read more about her family in "Schmaltzy Spotlight / Einat Admony: Why Yemenite Shabbos is Good for Your Belly but Bad for Your Social Life" and try her recipe for extra spicy s'chug (Yemenite hot sauce).
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour, plus flour for the work surface
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- Canola or vegetable oil for the bowl
- 1 stick of unsalted butter divided: 4 tablespoons cut into small cubes, remaining 4 tablespoons for greasing the pan
- 1 ½ teaspoons nigella seeds
Preparation
Step 1
Mix together the flour, the brown sugar, and the salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center of the bowl and add the yeast, remaining teaspoon of sugar and ½ cup warm water. Let it stand until nice and foamy, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Gradually mix in the remaining warm water. Dump the sticky mess onto a floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes by hand, 3-5 minutes if using a stand mixer). Shape the dough into a large ball and place in a bowl slicked with canola oil. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm place. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, 45-60 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, liberally grease the inside of a 3 quart Dutch oven (or an ovenproof saucepan with straight walls, a flat bottom, and a tight-fitting lid) with the butter (4 tablespoons). Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the nigella seeds on the bottom of the pan. Divide the risen dough into six equal pieces. Flatten each piece with your fingers and smear 1 teaspoon of butter over the surface. Bring the edges up to enclose the filling and smooth it back into a ball. Spread a little more butter on the outside of the ball. Place one ball in the center of the pot and the rest around it like petals on a flower. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise again for 20-30 minutes.
Step 4
Preheat oven to 215 degrees. Place the cubes of butter all over the top of the dough and sprinkle with the remaining nigella seeds. Cover tightly with a lid and cook overnight, start checking at 8 hours for a dark golden brown bread, if the bread looks undercooked, continue baking for another hour or so.
Excerpted from Shuk by Einat Admony and Janna Gur (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2019.
