In this recipe, we will try to make one of the oldest pizzas that ever existed. Modern-day pizza originated in Italy, but the history of pizza goes back much further than that. If we dive deeper into what pizza really is, then we will realize that it is just flatbread. Throughout history, all civilizations have had their own version of flatbread, long before we were introduced to pizza topped with sauces and cheese. Pizza has its origin in various civilizations. It is a mix of various pizza recipes. The most exciting pizza was made by Persian soldiers on their shields. In this recipe, we will recreate the original version and cook our pizza on a shield.
The pizza is called Nan-e Barbari and it includes ingredients that would have been available to Persian soldiers in the 6th century BCE.
Ingredients for Nan-e Barbari Dough
- ½ cup beer yeast
- 1⅕ cups lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
How to Make Nan-e Barbari Dough
- Put the whole wheat flour in a bowl, mix it with some salt and beer yeast. Add some warm water (it will help the beer yeast) and knead.
- Take the shield/plate and spread some olive oil on it. Put the dough on the plate and cover it with a damp towel.
- Check the dough after an hour. It should be a little bigger than before. It will not be as big as it would be with commercial yeast, but there is nothing to worry about.
- Put some flour on the surface and divide the dough in half.
- Flatten both pieces and, using your finger, spread them in a the form of a ciabatta. Cover it again and let it sit for half an hour.
Food Notes
- Whole wheat flour is the closest modern flour to what the Persians used.
- Beer yeast adds a stronger, more bitter flavor than baker’s yeast. During that time, they would not have had commercial yeast; they would have used beer yeast. Sumerians liked beer very much.
- Pressing olives to make olive oil dates back to around 3000 BCE.
Ingredients for the Romali (Glaze)
- ½ teaspoon of olive oil
- ⅓ cups of water
- 2 teaspoons of whole wheat flour.
How to Make the Romali
The glaze makes the crust really shiny and also adds moisture to the bread. Mix all three ingredients and simmer till the concoction thickens.
Ingredients for toppings
- ½ cup of dates
- ½ cup of halloumi
Making of Nan-e Barbari
- Preheat the shield/plate in the oven.
- Take out both pieces of dough. Divide each piece of dough into five sections with your finger.
- Glaze each section of the dough and place it on the heated shield/plate. Bake it for 8 minutes and then flip it over to add toppings.
- After adding the toppings, put it back in the oven for another 8 minutes.
Take it out of the oven and voila! You have your oldest Persian pizza. Eat it with friends and family and enjoy a little taste of history.
Food Notes
- Dates are the oldest cultivated fruit in the world.
- At first, pizza was considered a low-class food. A lot of Italian critics thought it was disgusting. But in 1889, Queen Margherita visited Naples, and the rumor was that she was sick of eating her royal diet and wanted to try the food of the people. She tried a pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. It became her favorite, and it is said that this is where Margherita pizza came from.
- They would not have had halloumi back then, but it is a descendant of many kinds of cheese from the Middle East. Halloumi is originally from the island nation of Cyprus.
