A large, triangular Iranian whole-wheat flatbread baked directly on a bed of hot river pebbles, which leave its underside dimpled. Naturally leavened, nutty, and chewy with crisp blistered edges.
Sangak means 'little pebble,' and the bread earned its name from the bed of hot stones it bakes upon. First recorded in the eleventh century, it was the field bread of the Persian army: each soldier carried a handful of pebbles that, pooled at camp, formed an oven large enough to feed the ranks. Today bakers still wield a long wooden paddle to fling the dough across the glowing stones.
Crusty and blistered on top, soft and chewy within, with a deep toasted-wheat flavor. The pebble-dimpled underside catches butter and cheese in its little craters. Earthy, hearty, faintly sour from the long ferment.
Baking directly on superheated stones delivers fierce bottom heat that puffs the wet dough and sets a crisp, dimpled crust fast. Whole-wheat flour and a slow sourdough ferment build the nutty depth and chew.
Variations
Plain, sesame-topped, or nigella-seeded; modern bakeries use pebble-lined gas ovens
On the Palate
Where Sangak sits in the Persian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 25 min
- 110 min
Whisk whole-wheat flour with water, salt, and a sourdough starter or yeast into a wet, sticky dough.
Watch outMix to a wet, sticky, batter-like dough that you can't knead firm — sangak is meant to be slack, and that wetness is what lets it puff.
- 2150 min
Cover and let ferment slowly for 2-3 hours until bubbly and risen.
- 330 min
Heat a bed of clean small stones (or a pebble-lined tray) in a very hot oven until searing.
Watch outHeat the stones until they're searing — flick a drop of water and it should skip and hiss off instantly, or the crust won't set and blister.
- 45 min
Wet your hands and spread the soft dough thin and long over the hot stones.
- 53 min
Press shallow grooves with your fingers and sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds.
- 612 min
Bake at high heat until the surface blisters and the edges turn deep golden and crisp.
Watch outBake hard until the surface blisters and the edges go deep gold and crisp — pull it pale and it stays doughy inside.
- 73 min
Lift the bread off, shaking away any clinging pebbles, and cool on a rack.
- 82 min
Tear and serve warm with cheese, herbs, and tea.
