Fluffy ring shaped bread with a sesame seed crust found all over the streets of Jerusalem! A famous staple in Palestine with a long history in Jerusalem; this recipe is a must try!!

Today we’re making Ka’ak Al-Quds, A famous Palestinian street food! A beautiful crunchy sesame seed exterior, yet soft and pillowy when you bite into it; this recipe is perfect for any time of the day. You can enjoy it as a sandwich with olives and fresh cheese, use it to dip into some Zaatar & olive oil, or just simply have it on the side with some tea! So many ways to enjoy it, and I hope you all love it as much as I do.

Here’s a video to guide you along the process:

Few tips:

• When mixing the yeast mixture, make sure the water is warm, but not too hot. It should be around 110°F (43°C) to activate the yeast properly. (I use warm tap water, and it works perfectly every-time, no need to stress over it! Just make sure its not too hot)
• If your dough feels a bit dry, gradually add warm water, starting with 1/4 cup, until the dough reaches a slightly sticky consistency. This will help it become light and airy.
• Remember that your climate and altitude can affect the dough. If needed, make adjustments to the amount of water or flour to achieve the desired texture.
• When kneading the dough, use a clean surface with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Knead for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic
• We’re using olive oil instead of flour to knead our dough because we don’t want to add any unnecessary amounts flour to this recipe; we want to keep our dough light and airy – not dense.

Process:

Ka’ak Al-Quds

Fluffy ring shaped bread with a sesame seed crust found all over the streets of Jerusalem!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 2 hrs

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins

Course Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

Yeast mixture:

• 2 cups Warm water
• 1 tbsp Active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp Sugar

Rest of dough ingredients:

• 5 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 3 tbsp Powdered milk
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup Water if you feel like your dough is a bit dry, start with adding an extra 1/4 cup of water and go from there. The factors of where you live (the climate/altitude plays a big part in most bread recipes)

Topping:

• 1 cup Water
• 1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 8 oz Sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, mix together warm water, active dry yeast, and sugar. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Add all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, olive oil, and powdered milk to the bowl.
• Mix the ingredients together using your hands or a stand mixer.
• If the dough feels dry, gradually add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of warm water. (i personally only needed an extra 1/4 cup of water).
• Knead the dough on a clean surface with a little olive oil for 10-15 minutes until smooth. oil your hands as well.
• Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
• After the dough has risen, gently release the air and divide it into 12 medium-sized balls.
• Let the dough balls rest for another 10 minutes on a floured surface.
• Shape the dough by gradually stretching it into a ring shape, similar to the process I've shown of shaping a bagel in the past.
• Place the shaped dough on a prepared sheet pan.
• Brush the dough with a mixture of honey, pomegranate molasses and water, then dip it into sesame seeds.
• Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes in your prepared sheet pan.
• Bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly browned.
• Keep an eye on them as every oven performs differently.
• And you’re done!

How to store them:

• Cover any left-overs, or store them in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for a couple days, or in the refrigerator for about a week. You can of-course also freeze them.

Keyword bread recipe, dough, fresh bread, homemade bread, palestine, sesame seeds