Şanlıurfa Tırnaklı Bread

Şanlıurfa nail-marked bread is a traditional bread variety unique to the Şanlıurfa region, typically prepared using sourdough starter. Before baking, a thin batter layer is spread over the dough, which is then shaped with the fingertips and baked in a stone oven.

Product Profile and Geographical Indication Type

Şanlıurfa nail-marked bread falls under the category of bakery and pastry products, specifically dough-based items. It has been officially registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office as "sign of termination^【1】". The registration of Şanlıurfa nail-marked bread recognizes that its production—encompassing centuries-old cultural knowledge and skills such as dough preparation, application of the thin batter layer, shaping with the fingertips (nail-marking), and baking in region-specific stone ovens—is intrinsically linked to the Şanlıurfa region and derives its reputation from this geographical association.

Şanlıurfa Nail-Marked Bread Fresh from the Oven (Türk Patent)

Product Definition and Distinctive Characteristics

Şanlıurfa nail-marked bread is an essential element of Şanlıurfa cuisine. Its distinguishing features are the centuries-old cultural knowledge and craftsmanship involved, the thin batter layer applied to the surface, and the shaping of the dough with the fingertips prior to baking in a stone oven. The resulting bread has an elliptical shape, measuring approximately 40–45 cm in length and 20–25 cm in width. The edges not shaped by fingertips are thicker, measuring 1.5–2 cm, while the nail-marked indentations are approximately 0.5–0.75 cm thick.

Production Method

Ingredients and Their Properties

• Flour: Bread-grade wheat flour and/or whole wheat flour as specified in the Turkish Food Codex Announcement on Wheat Flour.
• Yeast: Sourdough starter is predominantly used. In cases where sourdough is not used, industrial yeast may be added at a rate of 1–2%.
• Sourdough Preparation: A mixture of flour and water (75% flour, 25% water) is combined, covered, and left to ferment for 8–10 hours in a wooden dough trough.
• Other Ingredients: Water and salt.

Şanlıurfa Nail-Marked Bread (Türkiye Culture Portal)

Bread Production Process

1. Kneading and Fermentation: The main ingredients (flour, water, salt, and yeast) are kneaded for approximately 10 minutes. The dough is prepared to a very sticky consistency, slightly above the water absorption value specified in the farinograph. The dough, containing approximately 2–3% yeast and 1% salt, is left to ferment for 30–40 minutes.
2. Portioning and Resting: The fermented dough is weighed and rounded into balls. These balls are allowed to rest for a second time for 5–10 minutes.
3. Shaping (Nail-Marking): The rested dough is flattened. A thin batter layer, prepared separately from flour and boiling water, is spread evenly over the flattened dough. The dough is then shaped using the "nail-marking" technique: a skilled artisan carefully indents the edges of the dough with the fingertips, moving inward by 1.5–2 cm.
4. Baking: The baker uses a peel to place the nail-marked bread into the oven, stretching it diagonally from both sides. Baking occurs in a wood-fired stone oven at approximately 350–400 °C and lasts about 2–3 minutes. After approximately 1.5 minutes of baking, the bread is removed with the peel, flipped so the previously baked side faces upward, and returned to the oven for an additional 30 seconds to bake the other side.
5. Final Processing: The baked bread is removed from the oven using a spare peel and presented for sale on a rack with its surface covered.

Registration Process and Details

The application for the geographical indication registration of Şanlıurfa nail-marked bread was submitted by the Şanlıurfa Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The application, numbered C2016/027, was filed on 13 April 2016. Following the evaluation process, the product was officially registered on 20 March 2018 under registration number 332 as a "geographical indication". The registrant’s address is recorded as Paşabağı Mahallesi, Adalet Caddesi No:9, Şanlıurfa, Türkiye.