About this Dish
A honey-drenched, flaky layered bread, Yemen's most celebrated dessert.
History & Origin
Known as "daughter of the plate", bint al-sahn is a ceremonial Yemeni pastry of buttery pastry layers, traditionally served at weddings drizzled generously with honey.
IngredientsServes 3
🌾All-purpose flour, 3 cups
🥚Eggs, 3 large, beaten
🧈Unsalted butter, 200g, melted and slightly cooled
🥛Warm milk, ½ cup
🍬Sugar, 2 tablespoons
🧂Salt, ½ teaspoon
🫧Active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon
🍯Sidr honey (or good quality raw honey), ½ cup, for drizzling
⚫Black seed (Nigella seeds), 1 teaspoon, for topping
Method
1
Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with the sugar and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt, then add the beaten eggs and the yeast mixture. Knead the dough for about 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then cover and let it rest for 1 hour in a warm spot until doubled in size.2
Once risen, punch down the dough and divide it into 8–10 equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out as thinly as possible into a round, almost translucent sheet — the thinner, the flakier your layers will be.3
Generously brush each thin round with melted butter, then stack the rounds on top of one another in a greased round baking dish (about 28–30cm). Brush each layer as you go, and finish with a generous layer of butter on top.4
Sprinkle the black seeds over the top layer. Cover loosely and let the assembled bread rest for 15–20 minutes to puff up slightly while you preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).5
Bake for 25–30 minutes until the top is deeply golden brown and the layers are cooked through. The edges should look crisp and the surface should have a lovely amber colour.6
Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle generously and evenly with the warm honey — don't be shy, it should pool into the layers. Serve warm straight from the dish, pulling the layers apart at the table.7
Serve immediately while hot — the bread should be flaky and pull-apart tender on the inside with a slightly crisp top. Extra honey on the side is absolutely encouraged.User Reviews
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