Making Ruqaq (thin breads)

Making Ruqaq (thin breads):

(al-Warraq p. 122)

Two kinds of ruqaq are made: labiq, and jarmāzaj. The first variety is small and neatly shaped into perfect rounds flattened into extreme thickness. Jarmāzaj is larger.

Ruqāq is made, kneaded, and cut the same way barāzidhaj is done. However, labiq weights 2 Baghdadi ūqiyaas (2 ounces) and karmāzaj weighs 3 to 4 ūqiyas (3 to 4 ounces). Moreover, ruqāq breads are not priced with feathers and the tannūr is heated before flattening the breads. As soon as one piece is flattened, it is immediately stuck into the tannūr, which is to remain hot all the time.

You cannot bake more than one bread at a time [because they are thin and bake fast]. You need to flatten the ruyqāqa, stick it into the tannūr, and wait until it is done. It should be wiped with water the moment it is taken out and while it is still at the top of the oven. The breads are to be stacked as they bake until the whole batch is finished, God willing.

3 ½ c flour                                    4g Potassium Carbonate=½ t    1-1 ¼ c water

1/48 lb sourdough=1 T                 4g salt = ½ t                            

Combine flour, salt, and Potassium Carbonate. Dissolve sourdough in water, stir into dry ingredients, knead smooth, cover, leave to rise 8hrs+. Divide into portions of 2-4 ounces depending on which version you are making. Press very thin. Roll out to about 6” diameter for the small, 8” for the large. Put it on the baking stone in a 550° oven. Bake 3 to 6 minutes until it just starts to brown a little, take out, brush with water, stack.

It also works as a very thin flat bread cooked in a hot frying pan without oil, rolling out a 2 ounce portion to about 10”

Notes: If you roll the large ones out to 10+” diameter, you get a thinness close to Lavash. More like 7” and the result is more like pita. If very thin, bake two to three minutes. If you don’t have Potassium Carbonate, my current guess at baker’s borax, use baking soda.

One recipe makes about 10 of the small, 5-6 of the larger.

Preparation of Musammana [Buttered] Which Is Muwarraqa [Leafy] 

Andalusian p. A-60

Miscellany p. 121

Recipe for Murakkaba, a Dish which is Made in the Region of Constantine and is Called Kutâmiyya

Andalusian p. A-62

Miscellany p. 119

The Miscellany is webbed at:

http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Misc10/Misc10.pdf