Tamees

This is another recipe one of my readers were wanting to make. This bread also called tamees is a Saudi favorite for sure. Tamees is extremely cheap here you can buy one large tamees for 1 riyal (25 cents) and it is freshly baked. The usual things people eat with tamees are kiri cheese, honey or foul. My son and I always tend to eat the soft edges and leave the crispy centers for my husband.

Because of the cheap price and easy access this is not something I would typically make but all of the people who have had the pleasure of this treat and now are not living in Saudi just really want to know how to make it. I have been working hard to try to perfect the recipe and make as much as a replica of the tamees bread at home as I can and I have to admit this is pretty much perfect.

Tamees is cooked inside of a brick oven stove on open fire for a short time so to get heat like you need you will cook the homemade version on broil. Be careful when adding the water. You always want to add water a bit at a time so you do not water your recipe down. Exact water recipes for dough are hard to get seeing how things like climates effect it all.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons sunflower oil+more for hands
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-2/3 cups water

1. In a small bowl add yeast, sugar and 4 tablespoons of very warm water. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.

2. In a large bowl add flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Carefully add water a small amout at a time until you get a dough like consistency. Add a small amount of oil onto hands and carefully rib outside of dough (do not work in). Place back into bowl, cover with a towel and sit in a warm place for 1 hour.

3. Turn oven on broil allowing oven to get hot. Meanwhile, roll down leaving about 1/4 inch thick in a large round (about 10 inches). Poke holes all over the top of the dough with a fork. Carefully place dough onto a baking stone.

4. Watch dough until top turns dark brown. Carefully flip bread and cook other side until lightly golden.

Yields: 1 (10-12 inch) round