Sangak Bread

Baking fresh every hour in our hearthstone oven is our delicious Sangak, a seeded flatbread prepared in the ancient Persian manner. Our Sangak is completely natural and unprocessed, made without chemicals, additives or preservatives. Sangak takes its name from the word stone (sang), literally “stone bread”.  The pebbly appearance comes from the use of stones in the baking oven, and has an earthy, burning smell when it comes from the oven. The oven is fueled by wood or coal, and stretched by experienced hands throughout the day.

Sangak is made with rich, stone-milled wheat flour and a starter that comes from the previous day’s batch. This special fermenting process replaces the use of yeast or baking powder. The most traditional bread in Iran, Sangak is formed into loaves over a foot long, enough to feed the entire family. Eaten for centuries hot from the Sangaki ovens all over the Persian Empire, it is said that the shape of the Sangak resembles a woman’s chador, the scarf that all women in Iran wear by law.

Many Iranian children coming of age are asked by their mothers to bring home the Sangak for the day’s meal. Wrapped and secured under one arm, the challenge has always been to balance riding a bicycle while tearing off a piece of the hot Sangak with the free hand. Many times, a hot pebble stuck to the bottom of the bread was a reminder of the risk of burnt fingers for sneaking a piece! Many smart mothers realized the impossibility of getting the single hot loaf home, so most order two! We think you’ll agree, so come in to Wholesome Choice today and experience the ancient Persian tradition of Sangak flat bread. We also feature many other Persian specialty breads, as well as traditional Italian, French and organic loaves.