Bint al-Sahn — Yemeni Honey Bread
Bint al-sahn isn't a cake. One dough is divided into balls, each rolled thin enough to see your hand through, and stacked with ghee between the layers. That thinness is the whole recipe.
- Prep
- 90 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 120 min
- Calories
- 380
Bint al-sahn — also called seven layers — is a Yemeni sweet served at Eid and celebrations, and sometimes as a main dish with tea. Paper-thin sheets of dough with ghee between them, drenched in honey the moment they leave the oven.
Method
-
1
Knead
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm milk for 10 minutes, then knead with the flour, eggs, salt and oil for 8-10 minutes until soft, smooth and no longer sticky.
-
2
Prove
Cover and leave somewhere warm for an hour, until doubled.
-
3
Divide
Divide into 7 equal balls, cover, and rest them for 10 minutes — that rest makes rolling far easier.
-
4
Roll thin
Roll each ball on an oiled surface until almost translucent and as wide as the tin. A few tears don't matter.
-
5
Stack
Lay one sheet in the greased tin, brush with melted ghee, add the next, and so on through all seven. The ghee between layers is what separates them.
-
6
Glaze and bake
Brush the top with egg yolk, scatter the nigella seeds, and bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes until golden.
-
7
Honey while hot
The moment it comes out, pour over the extra ghee and then the honey so it soaks in. Serve warm.
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Tips that actually matter
- Thinness is the recipe. One thick layer turns the whole tin into a solid block.
- Resting the balls for 10 minutes relaxes the gluten so the dough stretches instead of springing back.
- Roll on an oiled surface, not a floured one — flour dries the dough and makes the layers stick.
- Honey goes on hot. On a cold bread it just sits on the surface.
People also ask
Why is it called seven layers?
Because the dough is divided into seven balls stacked on top of one another. The number isn't sacred — some households make five or nine — but seven is the common version.
Can I use black treacle instead of honey?
You can, but it's a different sweet entirely. The original uses bee honey, and in Yemen sidr honey when it's available.
When is it served?
Warm, shortly out of the oven — that's its best moment. It's eaten as a sweet with tea, and sometimes as a main breakfast dish.
Cook mode
Bint al-Sahn — Yemeni Honey Bread
-
1
Knead
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm milk for 10 minutes, then knead with the flour, eggs, salt and oil for 8-10 minutes until soft, smooth and no longer sticky.
-
2
Prove
Cover and leave somewhere warm for an hour, until doubled.
-
3
Divide
Divide into 7 equal balls, cover, and rest them for 10 minutes — that rest makes rolling far easier.
-
4
Roll thin
Roll each ball on an oiled surface until almost translucent and as wide as the tin. A few tears don't matter.
-
5
Stack
Lay one sheet in the greased tin, brush with melted ghee, add the next, and so on through all seven. The ghee between layers is what separates them.
-
6
Glaze and bake
Brush the top with egg yolk, scatter the nigella seeds, and bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes until golden.
-
7
Honey while hot
The moment it comes out, pour over the extra ghee and then the honey so it soaks in. Serve warm.
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