Awadhi Sheermal Saffron Milk Flatbread Nawabi Version

Method

1. 1

   Bloom yeast: Dissolve dry yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Wait 10 minutes until frothy.

2. 2

   Make the dough: Combine maida, ghee, sugar and salt. Rub ghee into flour. Add the saffron-steeped warm milk and bloomed yeast. Knead 8 minutes to a soft, smooth, slightly sticky dough.

3. 3

   Rest 1 hour: Cover and rest in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled.

4. 4

   Punch down: Punch the risen dough down. Knead briefly.

5. 5

   Divide into 6 balls.

6. 6

   Shape into rounds: Shape each ball into a medium-thick oval or round about 18 cm — slightly thicker than a regular flatbread.

7. 7

   Rest 15 minutes: Rest the shaped sheermal.

8. 8

   Preheat oven to 230°C (or prepare a tandoor).

9. 9

   Apply milk and sesame: Brush the top of each sheermal with milk. Sprinkle sesame seeds.

10. 10

    Bake: Bake on a hot baking stone or directly on the oven rack for 6 to 8 minutes until puffed and pale golden with golden spots on the surface. The sheermal should not be dark — it is specifically pale golden.

11. 11

    Note: Sheermal (sheer = milk in Persian, mal = rubbed in) is the milk flatbread of the Nawabi tradition — kneaded with saffron-infused milk and ghee rather than water. The Awadhi sheermal is softer and more fragrant than the crisper Bihari version and is specifically the bread of the Lucknow Muslim festivals — served at Eid morning alongside nihari and at Muharram gatherings. The saffron-milk combination was historically a marker of the prosperity of the household that could afford saffron daily.