For the alphabet B, I have a delicious bread from Bangladesh. Bakarkhani also called as Bakorkhani or Nim Shuka is a delicious flaky crispy flat bread famous as street food in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Kashmir. There are so many variations of bakarkahni depending on the region. I saw some street food videos on how they shape the bread. This is more like a crispy pastry and it is really good. The bakarkhanis are baked in tandoor but we can also use our ovens to bake. There is also a tawa cooked version which is soft and resembles parotta a lot.
As this flaky bread was so unique in shape and texture, I wanted to try this version. The layers are made with ghee and flour. In the commercial version oil is used. I used a mix of oil and ghee for layering. It was not so tough as a puff pastry and I managed it even during one of the hottest days in April. For the first batch, I made a smaller bread, but for the next batch, I combined two discs to make larger breads. Make it however you want but the end result is fantastic. Bakarkhani is made as a sweet version or savoury version and is served for breakfast. I made this for Sruti’s lunch one day and she loved it so much. She spread some nutella and peanut butter on top of the bread and relished it. She even packed some for her friends.
Recipe Source: Bangali Street Food, Honest Cooking
Makes 10 Breads
Ingredients:
For The Dough:
Maida / All Purpose Flour – 2 cups
Ghee – 1/4 cup
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Water – 2/3 cup + 1 tbs
For The Layers:
Ghee – 2 tbs
Oil – 2 tbs
Maida / All Purpose Flour – 1/4 cup
Procedure:
In a bowl mix together maida, sugar and salt.
Add ghee and mix well until it makes a crumbly flour.
Add in 2/3 cup of water and make a dough. Add one or two tablespoon extra if needed.
Cover and set the dough aside for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 225°C.
On a counter, roll the dough into a thin rectangle. Sprinkle flour to avoid sticking to the counter.
Apply ghee all over the rectangle and sprinkle maida on top. Now with your fingers spread the maida so that the maida absorbs all the ghee and makes a fine coating on the dough.
Apply ghee again on top and sprinkle maida again.
Spread maida until it absorbs all the ghee.
Now fold the rectangle twice to form a letter fold.
Now repeat the ghee and maida application twice.
Now bring the sides to the centre and press well.
From the top side, start rolling the dough into a tight roll.
Slice it into 5 or six equal portions.
Reroll each portion and divide it into two or three according to the size of bakarkhani needed.
Bring the sides to the centre and pinch to form a ball.
Flatten it and roll it to a thin disc.
With the help of a knife, make three or four slits on the disc.
Arrange on a greased baking tray.
Apply more ghee on top and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
Bake in hot oven for 15 – 20 minutes until the top is nicely browned.
Remove from oven and allow it to cool.
Serve it for breakfast or as a snack.
Bakarkhani / Bakorkhani - Recipe
Ingredients
- For The Dough:
- Maida / All Purpose Flour - 2 cups
- Ghee - 1/4 cup
- Sugar -1 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- cup Water - 2/3+ 1 tbs
- For The Layers:
- Ghee - 2 tbs
- Oil-2 tbs
- Maida / All Purpose Flour - 1/4 cup
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together maida, sugar and salt.
- Add ghee and mix well until it makes a crumbly flour.
- Add in 2/3 cup of water and make a dough. Add one or two tablespoon extra if needed.
- Cover and set the dough aside for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 225°C.
- On a counter, roll the dough into a thin rectangle. Sprinkle flour to avoid sticking to the counter.
- Apply ghee all over the rectangle and sprinkle maida on top. Now with your fingers spread the maida so that the maida absorbs all the ghee and makes a fine coating on the dough.
- Apply ghee again on top and sprinkle maida again.
- Spread maida until it absorbs all the ghee.
- Now fold the rectangle twice to form a letter fold.
- Now repeat the ghee and maida application twice.
- Now bring the sides to the centre and press well.
- From the top side, start rolling the dough into a tight roll.
- Slice it into 5 or six equal portions.
- Reroll each portion and divide it into two or three according to the size of bakarkhani needed.
- Bring the sides to the centre and pinch to form a ball.
- Flatten it and roll it to a thin disc.
- With the help of a knife, make three or four slits on the disc.
- Arrange on a greased baking tray.
- Apply more ghee on top and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
- Bake in hot oven for 15 - 20 minutes until the top is nicely browned.
- Remove from oven and allow it to cool.
- Serve it for breakfast or as a snack.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 92
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That Bakarkhani looks amazing with all that layers of ghee. I am sure this would have been a hit with Sruthi. I had this in mind but settled for something else. Looks delicious Gayathri!
I can imagine how flaky and crispy this bakarkhani would be. Could you explain the dough has to be soft or stiff?
Yeah, Ritu. It is so flaky. The dough needs to be soft but yet firm enough to roll out.
I love baked flatbreads and this one looks like so mouth watering!! Can’t wait to see what you have planned next!
Bakarkhani looks absolutely incredible and so flaky.You know what this bread was my first choice then i picked an another flatbread since i felt that this bread calls for a long rolling process.See how lazy i am. You nailed it prefectly Gayathri.
OMG! this flaky bread looks amazing. With so many layers in it, I am sure it tasted awesome.
This bread has been on my mind since years , but somehow haven’t had a chance to make it . Loving this flaky bread , with it’s ghee loaded layers . Definitely a treat on it’s own , and of course nutella and peanut butter must have taken it to another level .
oh my god, Gayatri you are really great. So much of work in making this bread and you made look like fun and enjoyful. Fabulous work in this bakarkhani bread.
I bet these bakarkhani tasted awesome with ghee in it. So crispy and I too would be tempted to have it with Nutella.
Oh my so much efforts and the end result looks amazing Gayathri, I had this shortlisted as this bread is popular in India too..you wonderful to have a detailed post on this!
The bread looks fabulous Gayathri.So flaky and nice! I would have never even attempted this one!
Wow.. looks so flavorful and aromatic.. you are the master of baking. So well baked bread. and crunchy too.
This looks so similar to our matris, except that we do not layer them with ghee but add in the batter. This looks super crunchy, flaky and yummy and the best thing is it is baked. Good find Gayathri.