Baking Bread in Egypt - Easy Recipe - Fresh at Home- Ancient Egyptian Bread History

Bread may be the most known staple food across the world and throughout history and in different 14,000 years old bread remains were discovered in Jordanian desert. People used grains to make breads in prehistoric times. It has been evolving ever since. Egyptians made bread from wheat and barley thousands of years ago. They have even discovered the leavening process when flour was mixed with yeast. They recorded their grain grinding tools and process. They were skilled in brewing beer and the knowledge was eventually used in bread making. Samples of bread were found in Egyptian tombs that dates back thousands of years. Bread in Egypt has been evolving over thousands of years. It has also been influenced by other cultures and civilizations that interacted with Egyptian civilization over the centuries. In modern Egypt, you can find all types and shapes of popular breads that are known around the world. Some of these types are more popular among Egyptians than others. Or considered more local than others. Let's learn about some of them. This is the Shamsi or Sun bread which is ancient bread that is still made today. The dough used to be left in the sun to rise after adding yeast. It is then baked in dome-shaped oven. But it can also be baked in regular ovens. Baladi bread is maybe the most popular bread in Egypt. It is made of whole wheat and has a unique aroma and taste. Fetia Mishaltit is also another popular bread that is close to a pie. It is like a pillow with multi layers of thin buttery baked dough. Some believe modern day croissant was derived from it. Flat or Shami bread, originated in Levant area, but it is very popular in Egypt. It is a pocketed type of flat bread that comes in different shapes and sizes. Battaw is another ancient Egyptian bread that is still made today. It is a flat tortilla-like bread. Fino bread is a variation of baguette-style bread. It comes in different shapes and sizes. It varies also in quality from one bakery to another. Simit is a soft pretzel type of bread. It is popular as a street food and it is usually eaten with boiled eggs and a mix of spices. There is also the pita bread made by Egyptian nomads or Bedouins. It is popular in many areas across Egypt. These were only some samples of the types of bread you can see in Egypt. Bread is so important in Egypt that Egyptians call it, Aish, or, living, in Egyptian slang. There are many recipes and methods to make bread in Egypt. Let's try a cheap and simple one. Main ingredients. Water. All-purpose flour. Yeast. Salt. Sugar. Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast. Add the sugar. Add the salt. Mix the ingredients. Use a mixer and start adding water gradually. Keep adding the water and mixing patiently. Check the dough to make sure it is becoming smooth, lumpy and holds shape. With time it should not be too sticky. This usually takes 8 to 10 minutes in the mixer. Add water carefully and keep mixing until the dough reaches required consistency. Check the dough by hand from time to time. Once the dough reaches required consistency, take it out of the mixer. Knead the dough by hand for a couple of minutes and give it a ball shape. Put it in a bowl, cover it, and leave it to the yeast to cause the dough to rise. After some time the dough will be doubled in size. Sprinkle some flour on a tray and start adding small balls of the dough on the tray. Repeat the process for all the dough. You can add small or large size balls for different bread sizes. Here is another way to cut the dough into pieces of bread. Spread a piece of dough and cut it into equal pieces. Again, shape it into small ball shape dough and add it to the tray. Use the method that is easier for you and finish all the dough. Now use a rolling pin to spread each of the dough balls you made. Repeat the process for each dough ball. Put the flat dough on a clean cloth or towel and cover it. You can make small size bread by making small dough balls. The dough is now ready for oven. Heat the oven to about 500 Fahrenheit, 260 Celsius, and start adding flat dough in a tray. The bread will start inflating like a balloon in oven in few minutes. Flip it on the other side to distribute the heat equally. Remove the ones that are done and add more batches of the flat dough. Repeat the process and enjoy the scene until all the batches are done. And here it is. Enjoy the freshly baked at home flat-pocketed bread. This type is called. Shami bread. Leave it to cool down for a while. Then you can keep it in the freezer and heat it when required.