Maghtuta

The name comes from the pressing. Fresh unboiled milk is poured into wide shallow vessels and left in a mild spot for 8 to 12 hours, long enough for the cream to rise and set into a thick layer. Bread straight from the tannour, still very hot, is pressed onto that surface, and the heat makes the cream lift with it. The loaf is taken up onto a plate and finished with fine sugar or honey.

A Homs trade

The dish is tied historically to the old markets of Homs and to the Hamidiyeh quarter. The Jalabji family of Hamidiyeh is among the oldest names that have carried it through the generations. The milk arrives daily from the countryside around Homs, and the whole thing rests on how fresh it is.

Mornings only

It is made only in the early hours. The cream forms overnight, so the vessels are full at dawn and empty towards midday; there is no point asking for it in the afternoon. Bread arriving hot is a condition of the dish, not a preference.

Where to find it

At the handful of shops in Homs that do this work. It has travelled to Hama and Idlib with small differences in the serving, but the version taken as the measure is the Homs one. Sugar goes on to taste, and asking for less is normal.