The Khubz al Jabal literally translate to Bread of the Mountains in Arabic and understandably gets its name from the mountains regions of Libanon. Khubz al Jabal is a soft flatbread generously brushed with olive oil, that is a delight served with any type of food.
When we talk about Lebanese bread, we instinctively think of soft warm pita bread. While pita is one of the most infamous Lebanese breads, the mountainous inland regions of Lebanon do not have the warm and humid climate that serves for the proofing and fermentation of the pita dough. Due to the slightly colder and arid climate in the mountains, their bread tended to dry faster and did not prove as well. Hence, with a dough similar to Pita, the people of the mountains started a tradition of generously brushing their flatbread with olive oil to keep it soft and provide warmth to the body.
Ingridiens for the Khubz al Jabal Flatbread
360 grams of flour
250 ml of warm water
7 grams of yeast
5 grams of sugar
15 ml of olive oil
5 grams of salt
Extra olive oil (for brushing the bread)
How To Make The Khubz Al Jabal
1. Mix the yeast with sugar and warm water along with half a cup of flour and let it rest for a few minutes till it starts to foam.
2. Knead the mixture into the flour till well combined. Add salt and olive oil and knead into a soft dough.
3. Cover and let it rest for at least an hour.
4. Divide the dough into small portions and roll into a flat and thin disc.
5. Heat a pan and brush with some olive oil. Lay the flat disc on the pan and cook for half a minute till bubbles start appearing on the surface, flip it over and brush with olive oil. Let it cook on the other side for a minute and transfer to a plate.
6. Brush generously with olive oil so it stays soft and keeps it covered.
