Khameer

An Emirati khameer home method

The UAE government describes khameer as Emirati bread made with yeast, flour, and powdered milk, usually sprinkled with sesame and served with cheese or honey. This entry follows one specific home formula from Amira Ibrahim, who says an Emirati friend shared this simple form with her. It uses bread flour, dry milk, sugar, yeast, baking powder, salt, oil, and water. Cardamom, saffron, or dates appear in other recipes, but they are not part of this formula.

The dough is divided into four, rolled into thick rounds, brushed with optional egg, topped with sesame or za’atar, and baked at a very high temperature until each round puffs. The author calls these pitas, but this is the named khameer version and the method remains separate from pan-fried khameera and other regional forms.

Mix and proof

Combine the first six ingredients: flour, dry milk, sugar, dry yeast, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil and mix while adding warm water gradually. Begin with half a cup and add up to three-quarters of a cup, stopping when the dough is soft and consistent. Knead for at least ten minutes. The formula includes both yeast and baking powder; allow the dough to rise until doubled, about an hour in the author's kitchen conditions.

Lightly oil the bowl and the outside of the dough, cover it, and let it rise. The recipe card's 1 hour 10 minute resting time includes the first rise and the later 10-minute rest for the divided balls. The warm-water temperature is not measured in the source, so do not heat it to an invented set point.

Shape and top four rounds

Divide the risen dough into four equal pieces, make each into a ball, cover, and rest ten minutes. Roll each into a circle no thicker than a quarter inch. Keep rolled rounds covered while working through the batch. For the optional topping, brush beaten egg across the surface and scatter sesame seeds or za’atar; the author advises against za’atar when using sweet fillings.

The seed line is an alternative, not an instruction to use both toppings. The recipe also lists the egg as optional. If the egg wash is omitted, bake the plain dough rounds by the same method.

Bake quickly and handle the oven carefully

Preheat to 550°F (about 288°C), the setting used in this recipe. The author says an older oven may need almost an hour to reach its highest setting. This method does not establish a lower-temperature substitute, so do not exceed the rating on the appliance. Use an oven-safe rack or place the bread directly on the oven rack; an ordinary cooling rack may not be made for oven heat.

With the oven hot, keep your face back from the opening and use oven mitts when moving the rack. Bake each round for about two to three minutes until it puffs and the top is lightly browned. Watch the surface closely. The source suggests a 20–30 second broil to brown the top, or another minute in the oven; watch continuously if using either finish. Allow two to three minutes for the oven to recover between rounds. Cool on a rack and serve warm with cheese, honey, date paste, or another accompaniment.

Raw-flour and egg handling

Flour and unbaked dough must not be tasted. If you use the optional egg wash, apply it before baking and let the bread bake through as directed. Wash hands, bowls, utensils, and work surfaces after they touch raw flour, dough, or egg. The recipe describes storage in a sealed bag after cooling but does not establish a validated storage duration; this entry makes no shelf-life claim.