Lucknow Bakarkhani Flaky Nawabi Bread Eid

Ingredients

• 2 cups maida, 4 tbsp ghee, 2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dry yeast dissolved in 3 tbsp warm water with a pinch of sugar
• milk — about 1/2 cup warm
• For layering: 3 tbsp ghee — at room temperature (for spreading between layers)
• Sesame seeds and nigella seeds for the top

Method

1. Activate yeast: Dissolve dry yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Rest 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Make the dough: Combine maida, 4 tbsp ghee, sugar and salt. Rub ghee into flour. Add activated yeast and warm milk to form a soft, smooth dough. Knead 8 minutes. Rest 1 hour until doubled.
3. Divide and roll: Punch down the risen dough. Divide into 6 portions. Roll each into a rectangle about 20 x 10 cm.
4. Apply ghee layer: Spread 1/2 tsp room-temperature ghee over the surface of each rectangle.
5. Fold and roll: Fold the rectangle into thirds (like a letter). Roll out again. Fold and roll one more time. This creates the layered structure.
6. Shape: Shape each folded piece into a thick oval or round.
7. Let rest 15 minutes: Rest the shaped bakarkhani so the gluten relaxes.
8. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F): Or prepare a tandoor.
9. Apply toppings: Brush the top of each bakarkhani with milk. Sprinkle sesame seeds and nigella seeds.
10. Bake: Bake directly on a hot baking stone or the oven rack for 7 to 8 minutes until puffed, golden and slightly charred on the surface. Serve warm.
11. Note: Bakarkhani (from bakar — a type of flatbread and khani — to eat, in Urdu) is the festive bread of Lucknow's Muslim culinary tradition — baked in tandoors by the specialist bakers (nanbai) of the old city of Lucknow in the Aminabad and Nakhas areas. The layering technique — applying ghee and folding multiple times before baking — produces a bread with a flaky, slightly laminated interior that tears in layers. Served specifically at Eid ul-Fitr morning breakfast alongside nihari or haleem.