Bakarkhani (Flaky Layered Tea Bread)
باقرخانی
Bakarkhani is a rich, flaky bread that sits halfway between a biscuit and a flatbread. Thin layers of dough are spread with ghee, rolled, coiled and flattened again, so they bake into dozens of crisp, buttery layers. It's lightly sweet, often topped with sesame or nigella seeds, and keeps for days. In Pakistan it's eaten dipped in morning chai, with Kashmiri chai on winter evenings, and, in some cities, with nihari or halwa.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 5 min
- Prep: 40 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Medium
- Serves 8
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Rub the 3 tbsp ghee into the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add warm milk gradually and knead into a firm, smooth dough. Rest for 20 minutes.
Mix the soft ghee with the 2 tbsp flour into a paste. Roll the dough into a large thin rectangle, spread with the ghee paste, and roll it up tightly like a Swiss roll.
Cut the roll into 8 pieces. Coil each piece into a spiral, flatten and roll into a 10 cm round about 5 mm thick. Prick all over with a fork.
Heat the oven to 200°C. Brush the rounds with milk, sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds and bake on a tray for 20–25 minutes until golden and crisp.
Cool slightly and serve with tea.
Kitchen notes
The firmer the dough, the more distinct the layers. A soft dough merges the layers together.
Prick well; otherwise the bakarkhani puffs like a pillow instead of staying flat and flaky.
Keeps 5–7 days in an airtight tin. Warm briefly before serving.
A Mughal tea bread
Bakarkhani has been baked in the old cities of the subcontinent for centuries, especially Delhi, Lahore and Dhaka. Traditional bakers made it in clay tandoors, slapping the rounds onto the hot walls. Its layered structure, made by rolling dough with fat, is the same idea as puff pastry and paratha, but the result is a crisp, biscuit-like bread that keeps for days.
Creating the layers
The trick is a firm dough and a paste of ghee and flour spread between the layers. The rolled dough is coiled like a snail, which stacks the layers, then flattened and pricked so it bakes flat and crisp rather than puffing up.
How it’s eaten
In Pakistan, bakarkhani is most often eaten at breakfast or with afternoon tea, broken and dipped into milky chai. With Kashmiri chai it’s a winter tradition. Some families serve it alongside nihari or halwa.
Serving
Serve warm with doodh patti or Kashmiri chai.
Questions people ask
Is bakarkhani sweet?
Lightly. Most bakery versions have a touch of sugar; some regional versions are savoury.
Where does the name come from?
It's traditionally linked to a story about a man named Aga Bakir from Mughal-era Bengal. Like many food legends, it's told in different versions.
Can I make it without an oven?
Yes. Bake on a heavy covered tawa or in a pot on a stand over low heat, turning once, for about 10 minutes per side.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 230
- Protein
- 4 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
