🍯 Sabaya (Yemeni Honey Bread)
Sabaya is a Yemeni layered bread made from a soft dough enriched with eggs, rolled into very thin sheets that are brushed generously with ghee and stacked before baking. It bakes into a golden, flaky yet tender loaf, sprinkled with nigella seeds. It is served warm, torn apart at the table and drizzled with honey, often for breakfast or with tea.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g flour
- 2 eggs
- 250 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 120 g ghee, melted
- 1 tbsp nigella seeds
- 100 g honey, to serve
Method
- Knead the flour, eggs, salt and water into a smooth, soft dough; rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide into 10 balls and roll each out as thinly as possible.
- Stack the sheets in a round tin, brushing each one with ghee.
- Brush the top with a little egg or ghee and sprinkle with nigella seeds.
- Bake at 200 °C for 30–35 minutes until golden.
- Serve warm with honey poured over the top.
How to make it lighter
- Brush the layers more lightly; 1 tbsp ghee ≈ 115 kcal.
- Measure the honey with a spoon instead of pouring freely.
- Share one loaf among more people and serve with tea.
History
Sabaya is a celebrated Yemeni dish, closely related to bint al sahn, and is served at family gatherings, Ramadan and special occasions. Yemeni honey, especially sidr honey, is traditionally poured over it at the table.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →