An oval-shaped bread encrusted with toasted sesame seeds, with a crispy exterior and soft, chewy interior. This iconic Jerusalem street bread is traditionally eaten with za'atar, eggs, or falafel.
Ingredients
4 cups bread flour
1.5 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp mahlab (cherry kernel spice, optional)
1 tsp ground anise
1.5 cups warm water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup sesame seeds
Simple syrup for dipping (water, sugar, few drops orange blossom)
Instructions
1Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, mahlab, and ground anise. Add warm water and oil, knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
2Cover dough and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
3Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each into a rope about 40cm long, then form into an oval loop, pressing the ends together firmly.
4Prepare a shallow dish of simple syrup and another of sesame seeds. Dip each bread ring into the syrup, then press both sides into sesame seeds.
5Place on lined baking sheets. Let rest for 20 minutes while preheating oven to 220C.
6Bake for 15-18 minutes until deeply golden brown and the sesame seeds are toasted. Cool on a wire rack.
Did You Know?
Ka'ak vendors in Jerusalem's Old City carry towering stacks of bread on their heads, weaving through narrow alleyways calling out to customers at dawn.