Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb all-purpose flour (you can substitute half with whole-wheat flour)
- 2 Tbsp dry yeast (preferably SAF instant dry yeast)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ Tbsp nigella seeds
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek seed (optional)
- 3 ½ cups warm water
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Put flour, dry yeast, sugar, salt, nigella seed and fenugreek in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or in a large bowl) and mix briefly. Add water and knead with the mixer or your hands for about 3 minutes, until a sticky dough is formed. Add oil and knead 1 minute longer. Cover bowl with a towel or plastic wrap. Put in a warm place in the kitchen (for example, on top of the stove) and let rise for 45 minutes, until the dough has doubled in volume.
- At this point, put a pizza stone in the oven about 4 inches from the broiler and preheat the oven to 475°F. (You will need to use the broiler setting later.) It takes an hour for the pizza stone to be fully heated; in the meantime you can continue making the dough.
- Deflate dough and knead inside the bowl for about 1 minute (you can use your hand or a spatula), then cover the bowl again and let it stand for 20 minutes. Repeat this step twice, then let the dough rise again for 20 more minutes – this time do not deflate the dough! The dough should rise a total of four times.
- Have a large (preferably thin and light, not the colored fancy-shmancy one!) baking sheet ready. Have a trivet ready on the countertop, next to a medium bowl with water, oil spray, an oven mitten and the dough.
- Turn the oven broiler on. Preheat the baking sheet on the pizza stone in the oven for 3 minutes.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven, put on the trivet and spray with oil. Wet your hands and gently cut a large ball of dough from the bowl. Wet your hands again, then gently stretch the dough as you rotate it in your hands. When it becomes too difficult to stretch, put the dough on the baking sheet. Use your hand to coat the top with a little water (it will make it easier to stretch) and stretch the saluf a little further while it is on the baking sheet. Preferably, the saluf should be about ⅛-¼ inch thick, and it’s ok if it rips a little.
- Use oven mitts to transfer the baking sheet to the oven and place it directly on the pizza stone. Close the oven door and broil for 2-3 minutes, until it’s golden at the bottom and the top is a little charred. Check after each minute to see that the saluf is not charring too quickly, as every broiler is different.The first couple of saluf may be over or under cooked, but keep on trying! They’re going to be delicious either way!
- When the saluf are ready, remove them from the baking sheet, transfer to a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
- Repeat the process (direction 7) with the rest of the dough. There is no need to preheat the baking sheet after each time, and no need to spray the baking sheet with oil again, unless the saluf start to stick to it.
Notes
Saluf is best consumed immediately after baking, and it will keep well for a few hours covered with a towel. To save it for later, it’s best to freeze the saluf in freezer bags then brush with a little water before reheating at 325°F for about 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 hours 5 minutes to rise
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Yemenite