Start your day with a tasty treat from Jerusalem, the heart of Palestine! Imagine biting into a warm, sesame-coated bread called Kaak al-Quds 🇵🇸, a delightful oval-shaped delight bursting with flavor!
Here’s what you need to make it:
Kaak al-Quds
Ingredients
**Dough Ingredients:**
- ¾ cup warm water about 110°F
- ¾ cup warm milk about 110°F
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
**Other Ingredients:**
- 1 cup toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup whole milk or half and half
Instructions
- Begin by mixing warm water and milk in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and whisk it together.
- Add sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt to the same bowl.
- Use a stand mixer with a hook attachment to mix the dough until it forms. If you don’t have a mixer, use a spatula or wooden spoon to bring the dough together and knead it by hand for about a minute.
- Oil another bowl with olive oil and transfer the dough into it. Cover it with plastic wrap and a towel. Let it sit in a warm place until it doubles in size, which should take about 1 to 1.5 hours.
- While the dough rises, prepare two shallow bowls. Fill one with sesame seeds and the other with half and half.
- Once the dough has doubled, place it on a clean surface and flatten it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut it into 6 to 7 long strips.
- Roll each strip into a log and join the two ends together to form an oval bagel shape.
- Dip each bagel first into the half and half, then into the sesame seeds, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat this process with the rest of the dough, making sure to space the bagels apart on the baking sheet.
- Cover the bagels and let them proof for another 30 to 45 minutes until they rise.
- Preheat your oven to 475°F.
- Once heated, bake the bagels for 10 to 15 minutes until they turn golden brown.
- Remove them from the oven, let them cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy your warm Kaak al-Quds!