Name: Armenian “Barbary” Bread
Yield: Makes two 15-inch (38-cm) long and 5-inch (13-cm) wide oval flatbreads
Cuisine: Armenia
Ingredients: 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level off); 1 cup whole wheat flour; 4 teaspoons (1½ envelopes) active dry yeast; 2 teaspoons salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 cups warm water, about 110°F (45°C); 2 teaspoons black sesame or nigella seeds, optional

Preparation info

Makes
two
long

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

The Modern Baker

By Nick Malgieri

Published 2008

About

There’s a bit of a debate as to whether this is an Afghan, Armenian, or Iranian bread. I’ve seen and tasted it at the Armenian bakeries in Watertown, Massachusetts. Most have a couple of different versions, one that they make, and another imported from Canada that’s larger, whiter, and tastes more industrial made. Basically, berberi, or barbary, bread is a long, oval flatbread, dimpled on top and sometimes sprinkled with black sesame or nigella seeds. It’s light and tender and makes a perfe