Brought to Ancestreats by Avidan.
When I think about every weekend breakfast with my family, and I mean every, the one item that is always on the menu and loved by all generations, is Kubaneh (say: koo-BAH-nah). It doesn’t matter where in the world we’re eating. If we’re together over a weekend, we’ll have this traditional Yemini slow-cooked Sabbath bread. It’s hard to describe what makes this humble bread so delicious and addictive; especially since there are only a few ingredients. Maybe one of the reasons it tastes so good is that you’re tortured by the smell of it while it bakes overnight. The butter and love put into it when kneading the dough also has something to do with it.
This summer my parents came to the states for a visit. Just like out of a foreign comedy, my mother traveled with a second suitcase full of food and bags of spices from home. I’m not sure what customs thought when they scanned her luggage and saw two frozen basketball-sized breads, wrapped in aluminum foil. But, I’m happy they let her and the Kubaneh in the country.
The recipe for Kubaneh can vary slightly from family to family. In genera,l it’s enjoyed with hard boiled eggs and dipped in freshly grated tomatoes. If you like the heat, use Z’hug (Yemenite hot sauce). There’s a special metal baking pot that people use to bake Kubaneh. An ovenproof pot can be substituted if you place aluminum foil on top to seal.
INGREDIENTS
- 5 cups flour
- 1/2 tablespoon dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 2-3 cups of warm water
- Around 7 tablespoons of butter
- Around 1 tablespoon of oil
- Optional: eggs
PREPARATION
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, except the salt and water. Pour in 2 cups of water and also add the salt. Knead properly. Pour in the 3rd cup of water slowly, while kneading the dough. At this point the dough should be sticky and soft. Cover the bowl with a wet towel and let it rise for an hour. It will just about double in size. Melt the butter in a skillet or microwave. Oil the kitchen counter surface. Take a tennis ball size piece of the dough. Stretch it thin and then spread the butter on it. Now roll it up in a ball again. Place the roll in an oiled pot and continue to do this until all the dough is in the cooking pot. Oil the pot cover too. Seal it and then bake for an hour on 350 degrees F. Take it out. Wrap in foil and put in the freezer. When you want to eat, take it out of the freezer the night before. Place it in the oven the night before eating when you go to sleep. Bake on a low heat, around 175 all night. You can bake the eggs at the same time too. Be-te-avon!
Region: Asia and Middle East
Country of Origin: Yemen
Photo Extras:
ancestreats.com 
This brought back such great memories of my grandmother. She used to bake the kubaneh in a stove top oven that I always thought was something she brought over from Israel, that is until I saw it in a camping store! It was a Coleman camping oven! I am going to try and make some today for the first time, especially since we just made a fresh batch if z’houg!
Thank you for stopping by Lee. I’m happy this triggered happy memories of your grandmother. How did it turn out?
It actually turned out great! The one thing my Grandmother added was 1/4 cup of all bran. Gave it a nice flavor and brown color. We also made some zhoug from one of her recipes. Out of this world!
Lee, we would be honored if you would share her Z’hug recipe on Ancestreats. If you have any left, take a picture and submit via our submit page! It would be a wonderful addition to our food gallery.
Here is the recipe, I’m afraid it did not last long enough to get a photo! (Neither did the kubané for that matter… next batch!)
Z’houg
1 Lb. Hot Green Peppers (we used a variety of peppers, Jalapeno etc.) Deseeded mostly but left some in for spice.
6 Large cloves garlic
2 Tbs Cumin
1 1.2 Tbs Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp Cloves
1 Tbs Cardamon
1 Tbs Salt
1 Bunch Cilantro
Put peppers (cut and mostly de-seeded), garlic cloves and cumin into food processor. Chop until fine. Add rest of ingredients and chop until blended.
Lee, thank you! Actually, email us a picture with memory and we’ll post this up on the website!
OOOh, yes, next batch! Ancestreats@gmail.com
I am very intrigued by this recipe but have never had Kubaneh. Can you clarify something for me? When you break off a ball of bread and spread with butter and roll it back up, how do you roll it? Do you just ball it back up into a ball shape and keep the butter inside kind of like a dinner roll? or do you roll it like a roll starting on one edge and rolling it over on itself – like maybe you’d roll up a cinnamon roll?
Thanks!
ARE YOU THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF NAOMI RUZI?
Thanks for visiting our site and this particularly delicious recipe.
No, we are not related to Naomi Ruzi.
If she’s a great cook, please ask her to submit one of her recipes here so our readers can give it whirl!
I am the Grandson of Naomi Ruzi. My mother was Shirley (Shulamit).