Egyptian Hawawshi Baked in the Oven
Hawawshi goes soggy inside for two reasons: too little fat in the mince, which dries it out, or unsqueezed onion, whose water soaks into the bread. Use 20% fat mince, squeeze the onion dry, and start with a hot oven so the bread crisps first.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Calories
- 480
Hawawshi is Egyptian street food at its best, and making it at home is easier than it looks. The one problem people run into is bread that turns soggy — and there are two clear fixes for it.
Method
-
1
Squeeze the onion
Chop the onion very finely and wring it out in a clean cloth until all its water is gone. That water is the number one cause of soggy bread.
⏱ 6 min -
2
Mix the filling
Combine the mince with the squeezed onion, pepper, garlic, parsley, spices and salt. Do not overwork it — mix just until it comes together.
⏱ 5 min -
3
Preheat
Heat the oven to 220°C a full 20 minutes ahead. A hot oven bakes the bread quickly, before the meat juices have a chance to soak in.
⏱ 20 min -
4
Fill the loaves
Open each loaf from one side and spread the filling inside in a thin, even layer. A thick layer needs longer and the bread burns before it is cooked.
⏱ 6 min -
5
Bake
Brush the tops with ghee, arrange on a tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the bread is crisp and the meat is cooked, turning halfway.
⏱ 25 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Squeezing the onion is compulsory — without it the bread goes soggy no matter what else you do.
- Keep the fat at 20%: lean mince comes out dry, and more fat makes the bread greasy.
- A thin, even layer of filling — a thick one stays raw while the bread burns.
- It freezes filled and raw and bakes from frozen with an extra 10 minutes.
People also ask
Why does the bread go soggy inside?
The onion was not squeezed, or the oven was not hot enough. Wring the onion in a cloth, and preheat to 220°C for 20 minutes — the bread then crisps before the juices reach it.
Which bread should I use?
Egyptian baladi bread is the original — thick, porous, and able to take the juices. Baguette or sandwich bread falls apart, and thin flatbread saturates too quickly.
Can I cook it in a pan?
Yes — a heavy pan over medium heat with light pressure from a second pan on top, 7 to 8 minutes a side. Crisper than the oven but it needs more attention.
Cook mode
Egyptian Hawawshi Baked in the Oven
-
1
Squeeze the onion
Chop the onion very finely and wring it out in a clean cloth until all its water is gone. That water is the number one cause of soggy bread.
-
2
Mix the filling
Combine the mince with the squeezed onion, pepper, garlic, parsley, spices and salt. Do not overwork it — mix just until it comes together.
-
3
Preheat
Heat the oven to 220°C a full 20 minutes ahead. A hot oven bakes the bread quickly, before the meat juices have a chance to soak in.
-
4
Fill the loaves
Open each loaf from one side and spread the filling inside in a thin, even layer. A thick layer needs longer and the bread burns before it is cooked.
-
5
Bake
Brush the tops with ghee, arrange on a tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the bread is crisp and the meat is cooked, turning halfway.
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