Yemeni Khobz Tawa is a type of layered flat bread that is brushed with ghee, oil, or butter, and then layered, then cooked on a tawa (a flat pan of griddle). It's made with few ingredients, and is absolutely delicious. It can be eaten alone, or with dishes like eggs, beans, meats, or drizzled with honey.
One of my favorite foods growing up was Khobz Tawa. My aunts on my father's side would make it all the time, straight from their blessed hands! They never used a stand mixer, and it was always so fascinating watching them knead the dough, then it coming together!
I grew up in the Middle East, and I enjoyed a variety of foods. My father being Yemeni, I grew up eating so many delicious Yemeni dishes. Khobz Tawa has such a special place in my heart because it's a simple, but impressive bread, and so delicious. It's versatile, and can be eaten with anything!
If you like Yemeni cuisine, try my Honeycomb Bread!
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Flaky - This khobz is incredibly flaky, with several layers! You can ball it up in your hands and create even more flakiness. It's incredibly delicious!
Easy - I know there's a dough element and it takes some kneading time, then there's the rolling and folding, but it's such an easy recipe. It does take a little time, but there's nothing difficult about it. If you have a stand mixer, it does the super-hard-elbow-grease work for you.
Simple ingredients - The dough contains four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and oil. Absolutely nothing else. No yeast, or milk, or eggs. It's a straightforward dough!
Versatile - This recipe can be used with whatever you want! It can take the place of any of your other breads. You can dip it in anything, or use it as a vessel for your eggs, beans, and meats!
What is Khobz Tawa?
Khobz is the Arabic word for bread. Tawa is a flat pan, can be round or square. Yemeni Khobz Tawa is made of simple ingredients, generally flour, water, and salt. Sometimes oil or butter. It's then rolled out, and folded, brushing butter, oil, or ghee between the layers. It's eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with a various types of dishes, like Fasoulia, eggs, foul, meats, or drizzled with honey. It can even be eaten plain with a cup of tea. Khobz Tawa is a staple food in Yemen.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A list of full ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Flour - I go between using all purpose or bread flour. It depends on what I have on hand. If you use all purpose, be prepared to add more flour because all purpose flour has a lower protein content than bread flour, so you'll need more than 4 cups. I always suggest starting with the least amount of flour and adding from there.
- Traditionally, this bread is made with half whole wheat and half white flour. So, you can also sub half whole wheat if you have any on hand.
- Water - Use warm water.
- Oil - You can use any neutral oil of your choosing.
- Salt - This ingredient is INCREDIBLY important. If you don't have enough salt, the bread will come out pretty flavorless.
- Butter - If you don't have butter or don't want to use butter, feel free to use oil or ghee.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Stand Mixer: A stand mixer will help a lot with kneading the dough. You could always use your hands though.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
Rolling pin: You'll need one to roll out the dough. If you don't have a rolling pin, you can use a large glass bottle, or a large glass cup.
Pastry brush: For spreading the butter between layers. If you don't have a pastry brush, you can use your hands.
⇄ Substitutions
Flour: You can use all bread flour or all purpose flour. You can also use half whole wheat and half white flour.
Butter: Instead of butter, feel free to use ghee or oil.
✨ Variations
Mutabbaq: You can add eggs to the bread. To do this, you'll need to cook it on one side so that it puffs up, then use a knife to cut into it, then add your eggs, and let it cook, then flip it and resume with the recipe.
Potatoes: You can roll potatoes (cooked and softened and mashed) into the dough, and then resume with the recipe.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, water, salt, and oil, and knead for 10-15 minutes until it comes together in a ball and it’s completely smooth. If you find the dough too wet, you can slowly add a tablespoon of flour at a time, but don’t add too much flour because you don’t want a dry dough.
Step 2: Once dough is kneaded, place in a bowl, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
💡 Hint: To help the dough stretch, generously flour your work surface, your rolling pin, and your dough.
Step 5: fold the dough into thirds, and brush each segment with butter.
Step 6: You’ll be left with a long strip.
Step 7: Start folding that strip into thirds until you're left with a square.
Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes and continue the process with the remaining dough balls.
Step 8: Once rested, flour your work surface and roll out the folded dough into a large sheet again, but this time will look square.
🎩Trick: To get the best flaky layers, let your dough rest once kneaded, and again once folding. This will allow the gluten to relax, which helps stretch out the dough, and then creates beautiful layers.
Step 9: Pre-heat a large flat pan or griddle (I use a square pan) on medium heat, and brush some melted butter on the pan, then add the rolled-out dough
Step 10: Brush melted butter on the non-cooked side, and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes.
Step 11: The more rested the dough, the more it will puff up.
Step 12: Flip the dough sheet, then brush melted butter on the cooked side. Let it cook for another 5 or so minutes. You can flip it a couple more times, but be sure not to burn.
💬 FAQ
It's possible you added too much flour. Make sure to start with the least amount of flour and work your way up from there, if needed.
Think of khobz tawa as a sort of pita bread. Whatever you would generously use pita bread for, you can use khobz tawa for. But you can also sprinkle it with honey and eat it with a cup of Adani tea.
If the dough is too hard to stretch, cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes. Then sprinkle with flour and roll it out.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Don't add too much flour - Start with the least amount of flour and work from there. Let the dough knead for at least 10 minutes before adding flour. If you feel like you've added too much, add a tablespoon of water at a time.
Generously sprinkle work surface - It helps to sprinkle your work surface with flour. This helps the dough stretch. Sprinkle flour on the dough and flour your rolling pin as well.
Resting is important! - Let your dough rest. This relaxes the gluten, which helps the dough stretch, and yields beautiful layers.
Don't burn - Make sure not to burn the bread. Let it cook for a few minutes on each side, but you can continue flipping it a couple more times and pressing down on the dough with a spatula to help it cook better.
❄ Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. Warm when ready to eat.
📖 Recipe Card
Khobz Tawa
Equipment
- 1 flat pan or griddle
- 1 pastry brush
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups (480-600g) all purpose flour or bread flour (see notes)
- 1½ cups warm water
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted you can use ghee or oil as well
Instructions
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, water, salt, and oil, and knead for 10-15 minutes until it comes together in a ball and it’s completely smooth. If you find the dough too wet, you can slowly add a tablespoon of flour at a time, but don’t add too much flour because you don’t want a dry dough.NOTE: Depending on what type of flour you use, you may need more or less. If using all purpose flour, you'll probably need closer to 5 cups, but always start with 4. As for bread flour, it absorbs more water, so you'll probably only need about 4 cups.4-5 cups (480-600g) all purpose flour, 1½ cups warm water, 2 teaspoon salt, ¼ cup neutral oil
- Once dough is kneaded, place in a bowl, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Folding the dough
- Once rested, divide the dough into 4-6 balls (depending how many you want).Flour your work surface, and start rolling out the dough ball into a large circular sheet using a rolling pin. Brush the sheet of dough with melted butter, then fold the dough into thirds, and brush each segment with butter. You’ll be left with a long strip, and start folding that strip into thirds until you're left with a square. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes and continue the process with the remaining dough balls.NOTE: The longer you let the dough rest, the flakier it will be and the easier for it to roll out.½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Cooking the bread
- Once rested, flour your work surface and roll out the folded dough into a large sheet again, but this time will look square.
- Pre-heat a large flat pan or griddle (I use a square pan) on medium heat, and brush some melted butter on the pan, then add the rolled-out dough and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Before flipping, brush melted butter on the non-cooked side, then flip. Once flipped, brush melted butter on the cooked side. Let it cook for another 5 or so minutes. You can flip it a couple more times, but be sure not to burn.
- Serve with your desired meal or drizzle with honey and eat with a cup of tea.
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