Bint as-Saḥn (Yemenite Layered Pastry)
Bint al-sahn (Arabic: بنت الصحن), or Sabayah, is a layered pastry traditionally made in Yemen, and now popular in other regions. The procedure takes a long time.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Combine the yeast and warm water. Stir in the warm milk.
Procedure
Stir the salt, sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs into the yeast mixture.
Procedure
Mix the flour and semolina into the above mixture. Knead well to make a dough.
Procedure
Cover dough and let it sit until dough rises.
Procedure
Divide the dough into pieces the size of your hand, and transfer to a flour-dusted surface to prevent sticking.
Procedure
Work each dough ball, stretching and folding the dough over itself multiple times. This stretching and folding process helps produce an airy and light-textured dough.
Procedure
Let dough balls rest for 10–15 minutes.
Procedure
Prepare a flat working surface by rubbing it with some margarine. Roll out one piece of dough into a very thin round.
Procedure
Brush the dough round with margarine, then lightly sprinkle with crushed almonds, pistachios, black cumin, and sesame seeds.
Procedure
Roll another piece of dough into a thin round. Stack on top of the first round, then brush with margarine and sprinkle with more almonds, pistachios, etc. Repeat this step, stacking the rounds, until all the dough is used up.
Procedure
Bake the stacked dough in oven. Serve with honey.
Photo: Rukn950 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 11 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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