Persian sweet bread – Nan-e Shirin

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 75 g water, lukewarm
• 1 tsp, levelled sugar
• 1 packet of dry yeast
• 500 g wheat flour type 405
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g butter, room temperature
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 eggs, size M
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 1 pinch of saffron threads
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 1 egg yolk, size M

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours

Preparation takes time, but it’s worth it

Mix the dry yeast with warm water and sugar and let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. Sift the wheat flour. Mix in the sugar and salt. Add the butter and eggs. Add the rose water to the yeast mixture and then pour it into the flour. Knead everything into a dough for 5 minutes, cover, and let it rise for at least 2-3 hours. Because of the large amount of butter, it will take quite a while. Knead the dough and separate into 8 even-sized pieces. Shape the pieces into balls and roll them out into ovals on a floured surface. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the flatbreads on top. Use a sharp knife to score a hashtag (#) into the surface of the flatbreads and pierce them 5-6 times with a fork. Cover the flatbreads with a tea towel and let rise for another hour. To coat, finely grind the saffron threads and heat them with water. Mix in the egg yolk and rose water. Preheat the oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat). Brush the bread with the saffron-egg mixture. Optionally, sprinkle with sesame seeds, granulated sugar, and fenugreek seeds. Bake for approximately 28-30 minutes. Then let the flatbreads cool on a wire rack.