From Middle Eastern pita bread to lavash, samoon, and khubz, each of these Middle Eastern bread varieties offers its own unique flavor and texture. In this post, Iโll show you how to make khubz (kuboos), which is the Arabic word for bread.
Although this bread is often referred to as "kuboos", khubz is closer to the actual pronunciation of the Arabic word "ุฎุจุฒ". Think of khubz on a spectrum, somewhere between pita bread, naan, and lavash bread. It has a chewy texture, and since it usually does not contain oil, it's more dense.
Unlike pita bread, khubz doesn't always puff up, although sometimes it can develop quite a large pocket. Since khubz is larger than pita bread, it can be used as a wrap (similar to this lavash bread recipe).
I like to wrap it around beef shawarma or beef kofta kebabs, then add Middle Eastern salad, pickled turnips, and a sprinkle of sumac powder. That might sound odd, but trust me, it's excellent! In Iraq, khubz is prepared in ancient cooking stoves called tanoor/tannour (sometimes referred to as tandoor).
While both are clay ovens used for similar purposes, a tandoor is associated with India and South Asia, particularly for grilling and baking, and it's where the term tandoori chicken is derived from. A tanour is primarily used in the Middle East and has a slightly different shape and cooking method.
Once the dough is prepared and proofed, it's stretched to the size of a large tortilla and fitted onto a round cloth pad (seen to the right of the tanoor in the photo below). The pad is used to adhere the khubz dough to the hot sides of the tanoor. The khubz almost instantly develops large bubbles and cooks very quickly due to the intense heat.
I don't know about you, but I don't own a tanoor, so we will be using high heat (475 degree oven) and a pizza stone to cook our khubz. If you don't have a pizza stone, use an inverted baking tray.
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๐ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Khubz is easy to prepare and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. It can be used as a wrap, or served with Lebanese hummus, roasted eggplant dip, or a variety of Middle Eastern stews including bamya (okra stew).
- The dough for this bread proofs in under an hour!
- Khubz freezes well!
๐ Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour: I used a combination of all-purpose flour, bread flour, and whole wheat flour. For a softer texture, replace whole wheat flour with ยฝ cup extra all-purpose flour and bread flour.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast is my go-to, but you can use instant yeast. You typically need about 25% less instant yeast than dry active yeast, so for every teaspoon of active dry yeast, you'll want to use ยพ teaspoon active yeast.
- Salt: Sea salt, or kosher salt.
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon sugar, which helps to activate the yeast. You can also use honey.
- Optional Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil may be added for a softer texture. Semolina can be used to prevent the dough from sticking to the pizza peel. Just sprinkle a small amount on the surface before adding the dough to the pizza peel.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card!
๐ซ How to Make Khubz
Step 1: Add warm water (100ยฐF to 110ยฐF), yeast, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand). Allow the yeast to activate for 10 minutes until frothy.
Step 2: Add flour, sea salt, and oil, if using, to mixing bowl once the yeast is active. Mix with dough hook on low speed, then medium, until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.
Pro Tip: If the dough is too wet, add more bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it begins to pull away from the sides. If it's too dry, add a tablespoon of warm water at a time until the dough comes together.
Step 3: Form dough into a ball and add to a large oiled bowl. Oil the top of the dough ball, then cover and proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour in a warm spot. I proof mine in the oven.
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Step 4: Punch down dough, then divide it into ยฝ, ยผ, and โ using a bench scraper. Roll each portion into a round ball, then cover with a clean dishtowel. Place pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat oven to 475ยฐF.
Pro Tip: If you want perfectly uniform bread, use a kitchen scale to weigh the dough ball, then divide by 8 to get the approximate size for each dough ball.
Step 5: Roll one dough ball at a time on a well-floured surface, using a floured rolling pin. Start in the middle and roll up once and down once, then turn the dough 90ยฐ (a quarter turn). Repeat until the disc is approximately 12". Flip the disc from one side to the other and sprinkle with more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Baking Instructions
Step 6: Pull bottom rack out halfway and quickly transfer dough to the hot stone or pan. Spritz with water bottle spray to add humidity to the oven, then bake for 4 to 6 minutes (depending on your oven), or until brown bubbles form on the khubz.
Step 7: Use a pizza peel or large spatula to remove bread from the oven and add to a large paper bag or between a clean dish towel. Continue this process until all the khubz is cooked. Once cool, store in large 2-gallon ziplock bags and refrigerate.
๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ Recipe FAQs
Khubz and pita bread are both Arab breads but they are not exactly the same thing. The word "Khubz" means "bread" in Arabic, but the name also refers to a flatbread, usually larger than pita bread, with a denser texture. Khubz does not always develop a pocket like pita bread does.
Khubz can be enjoyed for breakfast with eggs or filled with cheese, black olives, and fresh herbs. It can also be used as a wrap, filled with shawarma, chicken, or kabobs. Finally, it can be dipped into hummus, baba ganoush, or your favorite Middle Eastern stew.
Kuboos is made from simple ingredients like flour, yeast, salt, and water. Some recipes call for oil and use milk instead of water, which gives the bread a softer texture.
๐ฏ Serving Suggestions
Khubz can be served with breakfast to dunk into poached Turkish eggs or vegetarian shakshuka. Another way to enjoy this versatile bread is with some geymar (Iraqi clotted cream) and fig preserves, or date syrup and tanini paste (the precursor peanut butter and jelly).
This Arabic bread can also be used to make falafel wraps, or served as part of a chicken shawarma plate. It makes a great side to mixed vegetable Iraqi dolma. Finally, serve khubz for dunking into Middle Eastern stews like ras asfoor, bamia, and shalgam (Middle Eastern turnip stew), or for dipping into hummus or mutabal (eggplant dip.)
๐ฉ๐ผโ๐ณ Pro Tips
- For a softer texture, replace whole wheat flour with more all-purpose flour or bread flour. You can also add a few tablespoons of olive oil to your kuboos dough.
- This is a wet dough, so wetting your hands may be helpful when handling.
- Store khubz in an airtight container or a ziplock bag for up to 3 days.
- To reheat kuboos, add to a hot cast iron skillet for a few minutes of heat over the stovetop (if you have a gas stove). Some people even like to run the bread under water to soften it... it's a Middle Eastern thing.
- Khubz can also be frozen by placing pieces of parchment paper between the layers of bread for easier defrosting.
๐ฅ More Bread Recipes
If you enjoy this khubz recipe, check out these related recipes!
๐ Recipe
Iraqi Khubz (kuboos)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2ยผ cups warm water (100ยฐF to 110ยฐF)
- 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulaed sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2ยฝ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Add warm water (100ยฐF to 110ยฐF), yeast, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand). Allow the yeast to activate for 10 minutes until frothy.
- Add flour, sea salt, and oil, if using, to mixing bowl once the yeast is active. Mix with dough hook on low speed, then medium, until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.
- Form dough into a ball and add to a large oiled bowl. Oil the top of the dough ball, then cover and proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour in a warm spot. I proof mine in the oven.
- Punch down dough, then divide it into ยฝ, ยผ, and โ using aย bench scraper. Roll each portion into a round ball, then cover with a clean dishtowel. Place pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat oven to 475ยฐF.
- Roll one dough ball at a time on a well-floured surface, using a floured rolling pin. Start in the middle and roll up once and down once, then turn the dough 90ยฐ (a quarter turn). Repeat until the disc is approximately 12". Flip the disc from one side to the other and sprinkle with more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Pull bottom rack out halfway and quickly transfer dough to the hot stone or pan. Spritz with water bottle spray to add humidity to the oven, then bake for 4 to 6 minutes (depending on your oven), or until brown bubbles form on the khubz.
- Use aย pizza peelย or large spatula to remove bread from the oven and add to a large paper bag or between a clean dish towel. Continue this process until all the khubz is cooked. Once cool, store in largeย 2-gallon ziplockย bags and refrigerate.
Notes
- If the dough is too wet, add more bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it begins to pull away from the sides. If it's too dry, add a tablespoon of warm water at a time until the dough comes together.
- If you want perfectly uniform bread, use a kitchen scaleย to weigh the dough ball, then divide by 8 to get the approximate size for each dough ball.
- For a softer texture, replace whole wheat flour with more all-purpose flour or bread flour. You can also add a few tablespoons of olive oil to your kuboos dough.
- This is a wet dough, so wetting your hands may be helpful when handling the dough.
- Store khubz in an airtight container or a ziplock bag for up to 3 days.
- To reheat kuboos, add to a hot cast iron skillet for a few minutes of heat over the stovetop (if you have a gas stove). Some people even like to run the bread under water to soften it... it's a Middle Eastern thing. ๐
- To freeze khubz, place pieces of parchment paper between the layers of bread (for easier defrosting) and freeze in freezer bags.
Kelly Methey says
Another fantastic recipe! Thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much, Kelly! ๐ฅฐ
Hilda Sterner says
We hope you enjoy this khubz recipe as much as we do!