Iraqi bakery bread · Diamond shaped
Samoon Recipe (Iraqi Diamond Bread)
Soft dough. Pointed diamonds. Very hot oven.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenSamoon is the diamond-shaped Iraqi bread sold hot from bakery ovens and stuffed with kebab, falafel or masgouf. At home it comes out dense or pale. The fix is a soft, well-kneaded dough, a full rise, sharp pointed shaping and the hottest oven you can manage with a tray preheated inside.
The 3 laws of samoon
Why this recipe works
Stiff dough
Soft dough gives the airy middle.
Rushed
Under-proofed bread is dense.
Cold tray
Bottom heat makes it puff.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Dough
The NineFoods dough gauge
Is the dough proofed?
Press a floured finger into the dough.
Method · 3 stages
Step by step
Knead and rise
- Knead all ingredients 10 minutes to a soft, smooth dough.
- Cover and rise until doubled.
Shape
- Divide into 8, roll into ovals and pinch both ends to a point.
- Cut a slit down the middle and rest 25 minutes. Use the gauge above.
Bake
- Slide onto a preheated tray and bake until puffed and golden.
- Wrap in a towel to keep soft.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Under-proofed or stiff dough.
Fix next time
Let it rise fully and keep the dough soft.
Why
Oven not hot.
Fix next time
Bake at the highest temperature with a preheated tray.
Why
Overbaked or left uncovered.
Fix next time
Bake only until golden and wrap in a towel.
Why
Cold tray.
Fix next time
Preheat the tray in the oven.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | Chew and rise | Plain flour, slightly softer |
| Instant yeast | Rise | Active dry yeast, proofed first |
| Oil | Softness | Butter |
| Hot tray | Puff | Pizza stone |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Kebabs, masgouf, falafel or simply eggs and tea.
Store
Wrapped, 2 days at room temperature; freezer 1 month.
Reheat
Warm in a hot oven 3 minutes.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 8 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the dough proofed) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Samoon FAQ
What is samoon?
A diamond-shaped Iraqi yeasted bread, crisp outside and soft inside.
Why is my samoon dense?
The dough was too stiff or did not rise fully.
Can I bake samoon without a stone?
Yes, use a heavy tray preheated in the oven.
What is samoon eaten with?
Kebab, masgouf, falafel and breakfast eggs.