Efrat's Notebook

Kubaneh Draft

Yemenite kubaneh, balls of soft yeast dough rolled in melted fat and baked overnight in a covered pot until tender inside and deeply browned outside.

  • Prep30 min
  • Rest3 hr
  • Total3 hr 30 min
  • KashrutDairy

What you need

Amount:×1

Dough

For the pot

How I make it

Dough

  1. Put the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the water and mix well.

  2. The dough should be wet but not runny. If it's too dry, add another ½ cup of water.

  3. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

  4. Knead again, cover and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.

Into the pot

  1. Melt the butter and margarine in a kubaneh pot (an ovenproof aluminum pot with a tight lid). Let cool slightly.

  2. Set the bowl of dough and a deep dish with the coating flour next to the pot.

  3. With wet hands, pull off a grapefruit-size ball of dough, roll it in the flour, put it in the pot and roll it in the melted fat.

  4. Wet your hands again and repeat until all the dough is in the pot.

  5. Cover with the lid and let rise another hour. Meanwhile, heat the oven to its highest setting, about 480°F (250°C), with a rack low enough for the pot to fit easily.

Baking

  1. Bake at the highest heat for 1 hour.

  2. Lower the heat to 210°F (100°C) and bake overnight.

  3. Optional but very helpful: 2 hours before serving, remove the lid, raise the heat to 340°F (170°C) and bake for 1 hour.

  4. Carefully flip the kubaneh in the pot so it doesn't fall apart, and bake with the dark side up for another hour at 340°F (170°C).

  5. Serve with fresh or cooked tomato sauce, zhug, green tahini and, for the full experience, hilbe.

What I've learned

  • A full hour at maximum heat sounds scary, but yes, an hour.
  • For a parve kubaneh, I replace the butter with more margarine.

Source: ChefEf (chefef.com)