Yemeni malawah
A Yemeni layered wheat bread made by stretching an unleavened dough thin, folding butter or ghee through it, and baking it on a very hot stone.
Traditional method
Jachnun (Yemenite Jewish overnight pastry)
Jachnun · Yemenite jachnun
Jachnun is a rolled, butter-layered wheat pastry baked covered for hours at very low oven heat and served warm, often with grated tomato and schug.
History
Jachnun is identified as a Yemenite Jewish overnight pastry and Sabbath-morning food. The inspected sources document a living tradition and diaspora, but do not establish a first attestation date.
Ingredients
Yield 10 to 15 pieces · Scaling: source batch only
All-purpose flour
1040 g
8 cups in sourceBrown sugar
55 g
5 tablespoons in sourceKosher salt
10 g
1 tablespoon in sourceWater
600 mL
Begin with 600 ml; source allows up to 720 ml, plus more if needed, for a soft slightly sticky doughNeutral oil
100 mL
½ cup in source; for dough balls and dishUnsalted butterSoftened
227 g
1 cup in source; for stretching and layeringDry bread (optional)
Amount not stated
2–3 slices; source uses this beneath parchment to absorb excess oil and protect the bottom layerMethod
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Raw flour in dough
Uncooked flour can carry germs; do not taste raw dough, and clean hands, bowls and work surfaces after handling it.
Hazard sourceFollow the source's covered 12–14-hour oven bake at 200°F (93°C) in an oven-safe pot with a lid. The separate slow-cooked-egg method is not included; cook any eggs separately using a tested egg method.
Control sourceRefrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking (within 1 hour if exposed to temperatures above 90°F / 32°C) at 40°F / 4°C or colder.
Control sourceDo not eat raw dough. Keep the low-temperature overnight bake distinct from cooking eggs; the cited family recipe uses a separate slow-cooked-egg method.
- Mix the flour, brown sugar and salt in a stand-mixer bowl. With the dough hook on low, slowly add 600 ml water. Add more, up to 720 ml, only as needed for a soft, slightly sticky dough that holds together. Knead on low for 10–15 minutes.
- Rub the dough with a thin film of neutral oil, return it to the bowl, cover, and rest for 30 minutes. Divide into 10–15 equal pieces and shape into smooth balls. Oil a 23 × 33 cm baking dish, arrange the balls in it, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (about 93°C). Use a medium oven-safe pot with a lid. Lay 2–3 slices of dry bread in its bottom if using, cover them with parchment paper, and keep the paper between the bread and the pastry.
- Working one chilled dough ball at a time, butter your fingertips and gently stretch the dough across a greased surface into a very thin translucent sheet, about 43 × 51 cm. Small tears are acceptable. Dab with softened butter; fold the sheet into a 10 cm strap, stretch the strap to about 13 cm wide, dab it again with butter, and roll it tightly into a log.
- Set the log in the pot. Repeat with the remaining balls, placing each new layer perpendicular to the one below. Cover the pastries with parchment. Sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons hot water over the parchment, then close the pot with its lid.
- Bake covered at 200°F (93°C) for 12–14 hours, until the pastry is deeply golden. Check every few hours; if it looks dry, add 1–2 tablespoons boiling water over the parchment and replace the lid. Avoid opening the pot more than needed.
- Serve warm with grated tomato and schug. The source also suggests hard-boiled eggs as an accompaniment; cook those separately rather than placing raw eggs in this low-temperature pastry bake. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or colder.
Conditions
Yield10 to 15 pieces
Places
Yemen
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceIdentified with Yemenite Jewish foodways; no more precise origin is established.
Israel
Documented preparation · Country evidenceA Yemenite Jewish family tradition documented in Israel; not claimed as the dish's origin.
Related
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Sources
Jewish Food SocietyRecipe · Identity · History
Jachnun (Yemenite Jewish Bread) with Slow-Cooked EggsMeasured dough: 1,040 g flour, 55 g brown sugar, 10 g salt, 600–720 ml water, 100 ml neutral oil and 227 g butter; makes 10–15 pieces.
Rest dough 30 minutes, shape and refrigerate dough balls at least 2 hours or overnight; stretch thin, butter, fold and roll; layer in an oven-safe lidded pot with parchment and dry bread beneath; add hot water over parchment; bake 12–14 hours at 200°F, checking every few hours and adding boiling water if dry.
Identifies Yemenite Jewish family tradition in Yemen and Israel and describes serving with grated tomato and schug. Its slow-cooked eggs are a separate method and are omitted here.
Foodish, ANU Museum of the Jewish PeopleIdentity · History · Recipe
Jachnun (Yemenite Overnight Pastry)Identifies jachnun as a Yemenite pastry baked overnight on low heat and names Yemen as its food community.
A separate 9–12-piece recipe uses 1 kg flour and 2.5 cups water, stretches thin, layers with ghee, and bakes covered in a 100°C oven for 16 hours; this is corroboration, not combined with the Jewish Food Society formula.
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionSafety
Raw Flour and DoughRaw flour and dough can carry germs; avoid tasting or eating raw dough and clean after handling.
FoodSafety.govSafety
4 Steps to Food SafetyRefrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if ambient temperature exceeds 90°F (32°C); refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C).