فِي مِنْطَقَةِ الْبَاحَةِ، فِي جَنُوبِ غَرْبِ السُّعُودِيَّةِ، خُبْزٌ تُرَاثِيٌّ اسْمُهُ «الْخُبْزَةُ الْمَقْنَاةُ». وَزُوَّارُ الْمِنْطَقَةِ يُحِبُّونَهُ. وَهُوَ مَشْهُورٌ فِي مِهْرَجَانَاتِ التُّرَاثِ أَيْضًا. الْخُبْزَةُ مِنْ دَقِيقِ الْقَمْحِ وَالْمَاءِ وَالْمِلْحِ. وَطَرِيقَتُهَا تَقْلِيدِيَّةٌ وَقَدِيمَةٌ. يَعْجِنُ النَّاسُ سَبْعَةَ كِيلُوغْرَامَاتٍ مِنَ الدَّقِيقِ تَقْرِيبًا. ثُمَّ يَضَعُونَ الْعَجِينَ عَلَى حَجَرٍ كَبِيرٍ. الْحَجَرُ مُسْتَدِيرٌ، وَعَرْضُهُ مِتْرٌ تَقْرِيبًا. وَعَلَى الْعَجِينِ غِطَاءٌ مِنَ الْحَدِيدِ، وَشَكْلُهُ مِثْلُ الْقُبَّةِ. تَحْتَ الْحَجَرِ نَارٌ، وَفَوْقَ الْغِطَاءِ نَارٌ أُخْرَى. هَذَا مِثْلُ الْفُرْنِ. يَبْقَى الْخُبْزُ عَلَى النَّارِ بِضْعَ سَاعَاتٍ. وَيَضَعُ النَّاسُ أَوْرَاقَ الشَّجَرِ فِي النَّارِ. وَدُخَانُ أَوْرَاقِ الشَّجَرِ يُعْطِي الْخُبْزَ طَعْمًا جَمِيلًا. وَفِي الْمَاضِي كَانَتِ الْجَدَّةُ تَعْجِنُ دَقِيقَ الْقَمْحِ مَعَ الْمَاءِ. ثُمَّ كَانَتْ تَخْبِزُ الْعَجِينَ بِدُونِ خَمِيرَةٍ، عَلَى الْفَحْمِ أَوِ الْحَطَبِ. يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ الْخُبْزَةَ مَعَ الْعَسَلِ وَالسَّمْنِ. وَالْخُبْزَةُ مُهِمَّةٌ فِي الْحَفَلَاتِ وَالْمُنَاسَبَاتِ. وَهِيَ عَلَامَةٌ عَلَى الْكَرَمِ مَعَ الضُّيُوفِ. وَكُلُّ عَائِلَةٍ تُرِيدُ أَكْبَرَ خُبْزَةٍ لِضُيُوفِهَا.
In the Al-Baha region, in the south-west of Saudi Arabia, there is a traditional bread called “magnah bread”. And the region’s visitors love it. And it is also well known at heritage festivals. The bread is made of wheat flour, water and salt. And its method is traditional and old. People knead about seven kilograms of flour. Then they put the dough on a big stone. The stone is round, and its width is about one metre. And on the dough there is an iron cover, and its shape is like a dome. Under the stone there is a fire, and on top of the cover there is another fire. This is like an oven. The bread stays on the fire for a few hours. And people put tree leaves in the fire. And the smoke of tree leaves gives the bread a nice taste. In the past, the grandmother kneaded wheat flour with water. Then she baked the dough without yeast, on charcoal or firewood. People eat the bread with honey and ghee. And the bread is important at parties and special occasions. And it is a sign of generosit