Eish merahrah

Eish merahrah (Egyptian Arabic: عيش مرحرح‎‎, [ʕeːʃ meˈɾˤɑħɾˤɑħ]) is an Egyptian flat bread made with 5 -10% ground fenugreek seeds and maize. It is part of the traditional diet of the Egyptian countryside, prepared locally in village homes in Upper Egypt. Eish merahrah is similar to markouk, a Lebanese bread. The loaves are flat and wide, and usually about 50 cm in diameter. The bread is made of maize flour made into a soft dough fermented overnight with a sourdough starter, shaped into round loaves, and then allowed to rise or “proof” for 30 minutes before being flattened into round disks then baked. They can be kept for days in an airtight container. The addition of fenugreek seeds increases the protein content, storage length, and digestibility of the bread.