February 2026
Join me on my trip to Jordan
The outside of a Bedouin tent in Feynan, Jordan
First greeted by Abjulah, 13 years old, who became our defacto host. Full of personality he called himself, ‘King of Jordan.’ We were absolutely enamoured by him.
Set on the floor were two vessels, one holding the flour and the other the water to make the bread.
Our baker was Abjulah’s older brother, Amin. A quiet teenager who had been baking for four years.
No recipe, no measuring he baked by the feel of the dough, adding more water when his hands told him it was needed.
Arboud dough resting until it will be baked outside.
We walked outside where a fire had been prepared and had burned down to ash and embers.
Abroud bread is baked directly in the coals and embers.
Next the dough is buried in the ash and embers.
While the bread baked, Abdulah brought out his friends to greet us. First came his donkey.
Then the chickens…
Lastly the baby goats which immediately scampered on the rocky hillside.
When we asked our guide, also called Amin, how he knew when the bread was ready, he tapped on it with his stick. He told us he could hear the sound and knew the feel of the bread when it was done. To remove the ashes he picked up the loaf and slammed it down on a nearby flat rock and then turned it over and did the same thing to the other side of the bread. You can see the ring of flour left on the rock –– it’s incredibly effective at removing the ash!
Arboun bread fresh and warm from the coals.
This is a simple bread that Bedouin families in all of Jordan eat daily.
