Saudi Arabia: Massive fire bread takes centre state at Al Baha cultural event
The 38kg bread was enough to serve approximately 200 people
Dubai: Al Baha region in Saudi Arabia was the centre of a unique cultural event as Chef Eng. Hassan Ahmed unveiled an impressively large traditional bread, known locally as fire bread, during a ceremony attended by Ali bin Ahmed Al Shehri, the Governor of Qalwah, and heads of various government agencies.
The bread, which weighed 38 kg and measured 2.5 meters in length and half a meter in width, was enough to serve approximately 200 people, showcasing a distinctive culinary tradition unique to Al Baha and not seen in other regions of Saudi Arabia.
This special preparation used wheat sourced from a farm in Tihama, noted for being the first use of Tihama-grown wheat for this purpose, as Chef Hassan informed "Sabq" newspaper.
The preparation process was labour-intensive, requiring six hours of meticulous work from kneading to baking. The dough underwent natural fermentation, was shaped cylindrically, spread on a rectangular tray, and finally transferred to a thermal stone surface where it was baked.
The baking process itself took an hour and a half, consuming 140 kilograms of imported firewood. The bread was transported, displayed, and cut using specially designed equipment, ensuring that this traditional dish was presented in a manner befitting its cultural status.