Traditional Baked Goods in Saudi Arabia

Traditional Baked Goods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are foods generally made from dough and include a variety of baked food products, either handmade or produced in automated factories. They are usually based on flour, and bread is considered one of the staple foods in Saudi Arabia, with its two main ingredients being flour and water.

Traditional baked goods shapes and sizes in Saudi Arabia

Traditional baked goods in Saudi Arabia come in various shapes and sizes. They are often loaves about the size of a hand or slightly larger, with a rounded top and flat bottom. In the common local terminology used in Saudi cities, they are referred to as Al-Aish or Al-Qurs, depending on the baking method. In some regions, they are baked using the traditional oven method, which is the most common. Other methods include baking on hot ashes or heated stones. These baking techniques influence the naming of each type of baked good.

Traditional baked goods in Saudi Arabia are not described as a main meal; they are often served as a side dish and used as a means to consume a main dish. Bread is served alongside broth, yogurt, or ghee. Most traditional baked goods in Saudi Arabia are typically neutral in taste, lacking both saltiness and sweetness, making them suitable to accompany both savory and sweet foods. This excludes certain baked goods that are classified, based on their preparation method and ingredients, as either sweet or savory.

Agricultural origins of Saudi baked goods

In the agricultural context of the origins of Saudi baked goods, wheat is the dominant ingredient in foods in the southern regions of Saudi Arabia, as it is an abundant crop in their agricultural lands. Barley wheat (Burr) is one of the cereal crops in the southern regions and serves as a primary ingredient in most traditional baked goods across many regions of Saudi Arabia, such as Khameer bread, Meifah bread, Fateer, and the traditional flatbread commonly referred to in local terminology as Qurṣ.

Bakers prefer barley wheat in its various types, which they refer to by names such as white sorghum, yellow sorghum, Al-Sayb, and Al-Qayad, as these are the main ingredients in most traditional baked goods, such as Meifah bread, Muqarras, ‘Asidah, ‘Arikah, Tasabi‘, and other baked goods in which barley wheat is a fundamental component.

Traditional baking methods in Saudi Arabia

Traditional baking methods in Saudi Arabia reflect the lifestyles of most regions and the varying ways of life of the population, from the mountains to the plains. In the southern regions, it is common to use a Meifah pot to prepare tannour bread. This pot is a hollow metal vessel referred to as Meifah or clay tannour, or it may be a specially dug sand pit used for baking. The dough is placed evenly around the circular rim of the pot in a continuous ring until it is fully baked.

Types of traditional baked goods in Saudi Arabia

Flatbread, the traditional loaf commonly referred to in local terminology as Shami bread, is one of the types of traditional baked goods in Saudi Arabia. It can be considered the most popular form of baked goods in both automated and non-automated bakeries in Saudi Arabia, and it is present in most Saudi households. It is served in two varieties—white flour and barley wheat flour—and is offered alongside most of the three main meals. It can also be seen at the base of some banquets, as some chefs use it as a foundation for the meat in the Saudi Kabsa dish when serving it.

In addition to the traditional flatbread, there is Samuli bread—or as it is commonly referred to in local terminology in some Saudi regions, Sammun bread—which is the long, thin type of bread of French origin. It is usually made from a simple, non-fat dough and has a soft, spongy interior texture that can be identified by its length and crisp crust. Samuli bread can be considered one of the baked goods categorized as pastries, as it is suitable for stuffing; the space within it allows for filling the bread with additional ingredients such as butter, jam, and similar spreads.

Meifah bread, or tannour bread, is one of the types of baked goods found in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Bakers prepare it using the Meifah pot, and it is typically served alongside traditional dishes in the provinces of Al-Bahah, Aseer, and Jazan, such as Al-Muqalqal, Al-Radifah, and Al-Thurayf dishes. Meifah bread comes in two types: one is savory, referred to as Khameer, and the other is sweet, known as Al-Khubz Al-Hali. The difference between the two lies in the degree of dough fermentation—the more the dough ferments, the more savory the bread becomes.

Names of traditional baked goods in Saudi Arabia

Some types of traditional baked goods in Saudi Arabia derive their names from the flavors added to them. For example, the name Al-Khubz Al-Ahmar (red bread) in Al-Ahsa Province in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia reflects its golden-reddish color, which results from adding dates to the dough. Red bread is baked in a manner similar to Meifah bread, inside a traditional stone tannour or a clay tannour oven fueled by palm trunks or other types of firewood. The dough mixture for red bread consists of wheat, dates, water, cardamom, saffron, Hasawi sweets, sesame seeds, and black seeds.

Traditional round bread prepared by hand is referred to as Al-Qurs. When made in palm-sized discs, it is called Al-Qursan, a popular baked good in the Riyadh and Qassim Provinces. Preparing Al-Qursan depends on the quality of the bread used and the fineness of its rolling and kneading. The bread is served mixed with vegetables and meat, and stored in insulated containers to prevent it from becoming cold. Meat can be added to Al-Qursan, and it is often topped with roasted chicken during the final presentation of the dish.

Tamees bread also represents a popular icon in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Provinces, especially during seasons such as the month of Ramadan and the Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha holidays. It is one of the types of baked goods rich in calories and is served alongside dishes like fava beans or lentils.

Tamees bread overlaps with pizza in terms of size, round shape, and dough thickness, as it is made from thick white flour dough. It is pierced with a specialized tool that accelerates the baking process in the stone tannour. These perforations distinguish tamees bread in appearance from other traditional baked goods that take the form of a flat round loaf.

Health requirements regulations for bakeries

By regulation, baked goods produced in both automated and non-automated bakeries in Saudi Arabia are subject to the Health Requirements Regulations for Bakeries. These are requirements organized into articles approved and regulated by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing. The requirements cover a range of aspects, including the general characteristics of bakery products, the steps for preparing raw materials—chiefly flour—the processes of preparing and rolling the dough in bakeries, shaping and cutting the dough, cooling bakery products, organizing the packaging tools, and the systems for storing and transporting final products in automated and semi-automated bakeries.

Saudi Baked Goods in the 'Breads of the Creative Cities' Initiative

In 2024, the Culinary Arts Commission included three Saudi baked goods as part of the “Breads of the Creative Cities” initiative, which pertains to Saudi cities listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as Creative Cities in the field of gastronomy. These baked goods are:

Red bread from Al-Ahsa Governorate: A type of bread prepared in a special way using dates and the distinctive spices of the city.

Klija from Buraydah City: A traditional pastry that reflects the heritage of Buraydah City and Qassim Province.

Al-Mallah bread from Al-Taif Governorate: One of the oldest baked goods in the heritage of Saudi culinary arts.