Azraa Laith works inside her bakery in Batnaya village, Nineveh. (Photo: 964media)
Nineveh
Young woman opens Batnaya’s only samoon bakery, filling vital gap in village
NINEVEH — Azraa Laith runs the only samoon bakery in Batnaya, a village in the Tel Kaif district of Nineveh Governorate, providing a vital service to residents who once had to travel to Tel Kaif’s city center just to buy bread.
Laith, a graduate of the Technical Institute and a current psychology student, told 964media she was inspired to open the bakery after realizing the village had no local bread supplier.
“The idea of starting the project came to me because the village lacked any bakery, and I wanted to help meet the residents’ needs by providing samoon without them having to travel long distances,” she said.
Samoon is a traditional Iraqi bread, oval in shape and typically baked in a stone or tandoor oven. It features a slightly crisp crust and a soft, airy interior, and is commonly served with meals or used for sandwiches.
Despite the bakery’s importance to the community, Laith said she faces challenges, particularly bureaucratic hurdles and the high cost of ingredients. She purchases flour from Mosul at 49,500 dinars (about $33) per sack, as raw materials aren’t available locally.
She launched the business without external financial assistance, relying instead on encouragement from family and friends — especially her mother, who works in pastry-making in Australia.
“She always tells me, ‘There is no job a woman cannot do. With ambition and determination, we can succeed,’” Laith said.
The bakery operates daily from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. with three employees. It supplies bread to Batnaya and neighboring Baqofa, as well as local restaurants and community events.
