Tabouna bread

Tabouna bread

Tabouna breads.
Alternative names	Jardga or Jerdga
Course	Side dish
Place of origin	Tunisia
Region or state	Tunisia
Associated cuisine	Tunisian
Similar dishes	Kesra (bread)
Media: Tabouna bread

Tabouna bread is an artisanal Tunisian bread baked against the inner walls of a traditional terracotta oven, which is itself called a *tabouna*.

Etymology

The name *ṭabuna* (طابونة) comes from the Arabic word *ṭabun* (or طابون), referring to the fire hearth, derived from the verb *ṭabana* (طبن), meaning "to stoke the fire".

The *tabouna* can go by different regional names. For instance, in northwestern Tunisia—such as in Béja, Jendouba and Kef governorates—this bread is called *jardga* or *jerdga* (singular) and *jredeg* for plural, while the *tabouna* oven itself is called *guja* (or *gouja*).

Preparation

Made from flour, *tabouna* bread has a round, relatively flat shape. It is most often topped with sesame seeds. Kneading the dough is often described as the most important step in this recipe.

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  Tabouna (traditional clay oven) used for baking bread.
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  Loaves inside the oven.