Apricot Sabayah is a traditional Somali recipe for a classic fried flatbread made from a blend of flour, chopped apricots, sugar where the dough is folded before frying and which is typically served with honey and tea. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Somali version of: Apricot Sabayah.
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Sabayah (also known as Sabaayah) is a classic Somali flatbread that can be flavoured with a whole range of ingredients placed in the basic bread blend. These can either be savoury or sweet, as here.
Ingredients:
280g plain flour
60g dried apricots, soaked for 1 hour in water and finely chopped
65g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
180ml warm water
oil or clarified butter for brushing the dough
Method:
Sift together the flour and salt in a deep bowl then mix in the apricots and sugar. Form a well in the centre then add the water and gently work the flour into it with your fingers. Form the mixture into a dough then knead for between 5 and 10 minutes, or until very smooth and elastic.
Brush the dough with oil, cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes to rest. After this time, divide the dough into eight equal-sized balls. Place on a floured work surface and roll each ball out to a circle about 20cm in diameter. Brush oil on the top surface of the sabayah, then fold two opposing edges to the middle. Now fold the remaining edges to the middle to form a square. Set this aside.
Repeat the process on the remaining pieces of dough. Now take each piece in turn and roll each piece into a circle with a rolling pin, flattening to about 6mm thick. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle, brush with a little oil then add a sabayah and fry until golden brown (you may need to gently press down with the back of a spoon to ensure even cooking). Brush the top with a little oil or butter then turn over and fry the other side until golden brown. The flatbreads will puff slightly and become crisp and brown. Once cooked drain on kitchen paper and serve warm (repeat the process to cook the remaining flatbreads).
