Khubz Kamoun - Cumin Flatbread from the Medina

Pour the warm water into your mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over like dust settling on still water. Stir gently and let it bloom for ten minutes until it foams like sea spray.

Add the olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and ground cumin to the yeast mixture. The oil should shimmer golden, the lemon bright as morning sun.

Using the dough hook, gradually work in the flour until a shaggy dough forms. Beat for five minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, breathing life into the gluten.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for two minutes until it feels like silk beneath your palms.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning it to coat all surfaces. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm corner until doubled, about one hour. (The dough is ready when you press it gently and it springs back slowly, like memory returning)

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and brush with olive oil.

Press the risen dough directly onto the prepared sheet, stretching it with your fingertips until it covers the pan in rustic, uneven waves.

Dimple the surface with your fingers, creating little wells for the oil to pool. Brush generously with olive oil, then scatter the cumin seeds and sesame seeds like stars across night sky.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges turn golden as desert sand and the center yields just slightly to touch.

Let cool briefly, then tear into irregular pieces. Serve warm, when the oils still glisten and the spices sing their ancient song.