Unknown Facts About Your All-time Favorite ‘Kuboos’ or 'Khubz' Bread

Unknown Facts About Your All-time Favorite ‘Kuboos’ or 'Khubz' Bread

It is appetizing. It is regularly served on the table. You can easily find it anywhere in Qatar. Locals and expats, young or old, individividuals or families, love to eat this kind of food. 

But what Kuboos or Khubz really is? Why is it famous, not just in Qatar, but around the world?

What is Kuboos or Khubz?

According to Wikipedia, Khubz, alternatively spelled khoubz, khobez, khubez, or khubooz is also known as Arab(ic) bread, Lebanese bread, or Syrian bread. It is the generic word in Arabic for "bread."

For many, Khubz is not just bread. It is a staple of the local diet from the Arabian Peninsula to Morocco. Almost every savory dish can be eaten in or on a khubz. It is a common food in Mediterranean and Middle East Countries. 

How do people eat Khubz?

Some bakeries or restaurants make Khubz puff up and have an empty pocket inside so that people can fill with whatever delicious food they want. 

Khubz can be enjoyed as a delicious wrapper or dipper for other foods. More often, it is used to wrap shawarma rolls and served with several curries and gravies. It is best eaten fresh out of the oven while it's still warm!

Trivia

• A blog sugarflourdough.com claims that Khubz is so popular in Qatar that the government even monitors if these are sold correctly. 

For example, a “small” khubz must weigh at least 71,5 grams and must be at least 17 cm in diameter. There are similar requirements for “medium” and “large” khubz.

• It goes by many names in contemporary Middle Eastern, Asian and Italian dishes such as Tortilla Bread, Pita Bread, Panini Bread etc.

• Khubz is similar to pita bread, though it is considerably larger.  

•Its shelf life is remarkably longer than one would expect for simple bread. 

• Traditionally, it is an unleavened bread, made without yeast, baking soda, sourdough culture or any leavening ingredient.

Origin

Wikipedia stated that the bread originated in the Middle East.

However, some websites, like WiseGeek, suggest that Khubz came from the Iranian bread nun and the Indian tandoori bread naan.

Consumers

It is used in many Mediterranean, Balkan, and Middle Eastern cuisines, and resembles other slightly leavened flatbreads such as Iranian nan-e barbari, Central and South Asian flatbreads (such as naan), and pizza base.

Flatbreads have been a part of the dietary cuisine in ancient Egypt, as well as Ancient India and China. 

Patronizing khubz continues to be passed down through each generation. Today, khubz is enjoyed throughout the world.

Fillings

Common fillings include falafel, lamb or chicken shawarma, kebab, omelettes such as shakshouka (eggs and tomatoes), hummus, and other mezes.

Health Benefits

Khubz is made of wheat flour. It is guaranteed to keep your stomach fulfilled throughout the day. Unless consumed excessively, it is one of the healthiest breads to have with any curry. 

Basically, it is a fiber-rich staple among the Arabs. With this bread, you can have any of your favorite green veggies wrapped up in it and not worry about any extra calories making their way to you!

You can even have kuboos plain or with curd.

Traditional Cooking

The khubz dough is rolled or flattened into a pie shape. It is then attached to the side of a special, hot, stone oven and baked to perfection. 

By slapping the dough to the wall of the stone oven, it will stick and cook until bubbling and brown. 

The finished khubz is removed with a long wire hook. Even the process of making khubz is similar to the technique used to make naan bread, baked in a tandoori hot brick oven.

Cooking Process

Most are made in a similar fashion, using hot bricks; stones, iron pans or direct flames to quick cook the breads.

It is usually baked in a hot oven. Some recipes of kuboos feature a non-stick pan so you can savor this treat even without an oven.

Recipe

In Arab countries and also in Turkey, khubz is produced as a round flatbread, 18 cm (7 in) to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. 

It is thin and puffs up as it bakes. Since it does not contain any added fat, it dries out rapidly and is best consumed while still warm; later, it may become chewy.

Here is how to cook a khubz bread from mamasguiderecipes.com.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour – 4 Cups

Warm Water – ½ Cup

Yeast – ½ tsp

Sugar – 1 dessert spoon

Milk – 1 Cup

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Salt – As Required

Method

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water, add sugar and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

2. You may notice it will turn frothy. Combine it with the wheat flour and salt. Gradually add the milk and knead it to form a consistent dough.

3. During the process of kneading, dust your working table with flour to enhance the softness of your kuboos.

4. After kneading the dough, add the oil and mix it very well. Transfer into a large bowl, cover it off with a wet towel. Set it aside for two hours. Make sure to keep it in a warm place. (In two hours your dough should double in size.) Then go for a simple kneading process. You can shape medium sized round balls out from the dough and roll them using your rolling pin.

5. When rolling the dough balls, make sure that the rolls have at least double the thickness compared with that of regular chapattis. Keep on dusting some wheat flour for ease in the rolling process.

6. When done, heat up a non stick pan over medium heat and cook the kuboos on it.

7. After some ten seconds of time, flip it over. Keep on flipping it over from side to side until you see its puffing up.

8. Continue the process of flipping to each side until you start to see them puffing up. When it is puffed up, remove them from the pan and transfer to a serving plate.

Happy cooking and enjoy!

Have you tried this bread? What is your Khubz story? Share to us in the comments.