Everyday meals · Yemen

Bint as-Saḥn (Yemenite Layered Pastry)

Name: Bint as-Saḥn (Yemenite Layered Pastry)
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Yemen
Ingredients: 1 tsp dried yeast; 3 cups lukewarm water; ¼ cups warm milk; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tbsp granulated sugar; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 eggs; 6 cups white all-purpose flour; 2 cups semolina flour; ½ cup warm margarine (or melted butter); 2 tbsp black cumin (Nigella sativa); Sesame seeds (optional); Crushed almonds; Crushed pistachios

Bint al-sahn (Arabic: بنت الصحن), or Sabayah, is a layered pastry traditionally made in Yemen, and now popular in other regions. The procedure takes a long time.

Published October 16, 2026

EST. TOTAL TIME1h

DIFFICULTYMedium

SERVES10

Time and difficulty are editorial estimates; allow extra time for your equipment and experience.

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What you’ll need

Tap an ingredient as you get it ready.

Let’s make it

Step 1

Combine the yeast and warm water. Stir in the warm milk.

Step 2

Stir the salt, sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs into the yeast mixture.

Step 3

Mix the flour and semolina into the above mixture. Knead well to make a dough.

Step 4

Cover dough and let it sit until dough rises.

Step 5

Divide the dough into pieces the size of your hand, and transfer to a flour-dusted surface to prevent sticking.

Step 6

Work each dough ball, stretching and folding the dough over itself multiple times. This stretching and folding process helps produce an airy and light-textured dough.

Step 7

Let dough balls rest for 10–15 minutes.

Step 8

Prepare a flat working surface by rubbing it with some margarine. Roll out one piece of dough into a very thin round.

Step 9

Brush the dough round with margarine, then lightly sprinkle with crushed almonds, pistachios, black cumin, and sesame seeds.

Step 10

Roll another piece of dough into a thin round. Stack on top of the first round, then brush with margarine and sprinkle with more almonds, pistachios, etc. Repeat this step, stacking the rounds, until all the dough is used up.

Step 11

Bake the stacked dough in oven. Serve with honey.