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flatbread with saffron and sesame seeds
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5 from 19 votes

Emirati Khameer | Khamir Flatbread from UAE

Emirati Khameer also known as the Khamir flatbread is a very popular flatbread in the United Arab Emirates. It is made with slightly sweet dough and is the softest ever flatbread that I have baked.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Resting time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Baking, Breakfast, Flatbread, Snack
Cuisine: UAE
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4 flatbread
Calories: 373kcal

Equipment

  • food processor
  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Bread flour can be substituted with All purpose flour - 2 cups
  • ½ tablespoon Instant Yeast
  • 3 tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ tablespoon Baking Powder
  • ½ cup Milk ½ - ¾ cup warm
  • 2 TBSP Olive oil 2 tablespoon plus more to grease the bowl
  • ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Saffron threads
  • 2 TBSP Sesame seeds I used black and white

Instructions

To Make the Dough -

  • I made my dough in the food processor. You could knead it by hand or use the stand mixer as well.
  • In the bowl of the food processor, add the flour, Instant yeast, sugar, salt, baking powder and cardamom powder.
  • Pulse the machine a couple of times to combine.
  • Add the oil to the flour and mix once. Now slowly add the milk and make a soft dough. Add just enough milk to make a soft and slightly sticky dough.
  • Bring the dough out and knead for couple of minutes.
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise until doubled in volume. It takes about an hour to hour and a half.

To Shape and Bake -

  • Preheat the oven to 500 F.
  • Take about 3 tablespoon of warm milk in a bowl and add the saffron thread to it. Mix well and keep it aside
  • Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape them into a ball. Let the balls rest (covered) until the oven is preheating.
  • Using a little flour to dust, roll each piece of dough ball into a ¼ inch thick circle. My flatbread was about 6 inches in diameter. Make sure to keep them ¼ inch thick and not to make it thin.
  • Keep the rolled flatbread covered with a cloth to avoid drying out.
  • Pick one piece of the rolled dough and flip it in your hand. Now place it on a cooling rack. The side that was touching the surface when rolling will be the top when baking.
  • Brush the top of the dough with the saffron milk and sprinkle the sesame seed on the surface.
  • Carefully place the cooling rack directly on the rack inside the oven. Let it bake for about 3 minutes. Check to see if the Khameer is evenly browned on all sides. I rotated the pan once in between the baking for even browning.
  • Remove the khameer from the oven and let it cool. Repeat the same with the rest of the rolled dough. I always allowed the oven to heat for about 3 to 4 minutes before placing the next flatbread.
  • I also used 2 cooling racks to alternate the baking, so one rack could cool to room temperature before placing the next flatbread.
  • Serve the Emirati Khameer at room temperature or slightly warmed with cheese or jam. I served it with some fresh local honey and it was the best thing we ate.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 756mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 1mg