in the KITCHEN with
in the KITCHEN with Samoun bread at Ishtar Bakery By Mark Kassa Lions, flowers and dragons dressed in gold on a cobalt-painted background are familiar as the color scheme at Shenandoah Country Club. Of course this compilation was carefully derived from Babylonian days, specifically the eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon. Ordered by King Nebuchadezzar II, it was dedicated to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. Roughly 2,600 years later, West Bloomfield encompasses a market/bakery to which two brothers have dedicated its name. Izat and Manhel Savaya opened Ishtar Bakery on December 15, 2006. The spot has become known for its customer-oriented, friendly service — and its fresh-baked samoun bread, also known as Iraqi bread. Patrons line up and wait as the final leg of the bread assembly line produces the steamy finished product. The tradition is from back home in Telkaif and so are longtime friends of the Savayas, Kather Yokana and Touni Nooh, who flawlessly speed through the bread-making process of mixing, kneeding, shaping and traying. While the bread is waiting in stacks to go into the oven, it rises in the warm, humid environment. This pre-baking rising process in that specific climate is called proofing. (Most bakeries need a proofer but the climate at Ishtar’s baking area is ideal.) Each loaf is then placed on a large wooden paddle and slid into the hot stone oven. As Izat said of baking samoun, “if not on stone, it’s fake.” Recent renovations, which include the addition of that From top: Izat and Manhel Savaya Sliding the bread into the oven The sensational samoun traditional-style stone oven and a full reorganization of the layout, have made Ishtar popular for those seeking Middle Eastern foods and accessories. Izat said the shop’s non-Chaldean clientele, especially Eastern Europeans and Asians, has really picked up as well — most likely due to our food culture’s healthy attributes. Certain items that can be difficult to find in a regular store are well organized and fresh staples at Ishtar. For example, pomegranate molasses is used for part of the fattoush salad dressing, there are several types of burghul for gurgur, as well as teroozi cucumber, dikon radish, assorted Arabic cheeses for a mezza tray, and nuts coupled with dried fruit for dessert. Even still, everything else is second to the fresh bread coming off of the hot stone. Upon walking through the doors of Ishtar, a sense of long-time traditional food culture is awakened. Although the samoun bread quality depends upon the proper preparation and oven, Ishtar has graciously provided the authentic dough recipe. photos by DAVID REED Samoun Bread Ingredients 44 pounds High Gluten Flour 3½ - 4 Gallons of Water 1 Cup Yeast 1 Cup Salt 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour Instructions Mix dry ingredients together in mixing bowl. Slowly add water and knead dough with the hook attachment for about 12 minutes until neither sticky nor dry. Shape dough then allow it to rest for about 20 minutes while proofing in warm, humid environment. Bake directly on hot stone in oven for a couple of minutes per side. 44 CHALDEAN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010
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