| Eish shamsi | |
| Country: | Egypt |
| Region: | Upper Egypt |
| Type: | Sourdough |
Eish shamsi (عيش شمسي), is a thick sourdough bread eaten in Egypt made with wheat flour.[1] In Upper Egypt it replaces eish baladi as the local staple,[2] although the latter is common as well. The name, which translates to "sun bread", is thought to derive from the practice of letting the dough rise in the sun.[2] The bread is traditionally baked at home in domed clay ovens with openings at the top, although this tradition is fading with pre-made bread becoming increasingly common.[1]
The shape of the bread is determined by the pattern of the scoring, which is done with a needle.[1] The common way to do it is making slits all around the top-edge for a round bread.[1] Another common way to do it is making crescent-shaped slits in the dough which results in a triangle-shaped bread.[1] Christians tend to score the dough in a way that achieves a rough cross-shape.[1] These bread shapes resemble those on depictions of bread offerings on tomb paintings dating back to ancient Egypt.[1] Although it is uncommon in Lower Egypt, some bakeries in Cairo make it especially for their Upper Egyptian clientele.[2]