Kaak/ Kaak Alasreya/ Lebanese Street Bread

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Recipe By Hadias Cuisine

Kaak alasreya/ Kaak/ Lebanese Street Bread is a hand bag-shaped savory roll covered with sesame seeds – crispy on the outside and chewy a bit when eating. They are baked in an open flame oven and sold through cart vendors in Beirut – a street food and an ideal snack on the go, usually eaten handheld, that can be equally good for breakfast paired with a cup of tea.

If you ever visit Lebanon, don’t miss these insanely delicious treats and try to get them fresh and warm. In Lebanon, no one bothers to make them at home as its easier to buy them ready, but living abroad, there is always a kind of food that we miss and crave, right? Have you ever had one of those days, when you get a craving that hits you badly? Food has really a powerful role in our lives than you might imagine!

And now let’s get started, but please before you dig into the recipe, consider these tips

- I prefer to knead the dough by hand – old school – but if you like you can knead it with a  hand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Make sure to check the expiration date on the packet of the active dry yeast to ensure that it is active enough to use./
- Bake the dough at high temperature to have a crusty delicious bread.  The warmer the temperature, the more active the yeast will be and quicker the dough rises when baking.
- Like all bread, kaak tastes best the day it is made, but if you need to freeze it, shave a minute of the cooking time, so they won’t get browned when you reheat.
- Watch the video, I provided in this recipe, to make it easier to understand, and now let’s get started!!

In a large ceramic bowl, mix the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Add the luke-warm water and combine all the ingredients with your hands. (You may need to add more water than the called for. The amount of moisture in the flour determines how much you need to add).When the mixture starts coming together, knead it thoroughly and push your hands curving your fingers over the dough, getting a malleable dough.Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside for 1 hour to double in size.

When the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle some flour on a counter top and divide the dough to nine equal portions.

Place one of the dough over the floured surface and stretch it with a rolling pin and roll it to a round circle about 20 cm/8 inches in diameter and about 1.5 cm ½ inch thick.

Using a 10 cm/4 inches round cookie cutter, create a hole close to the upper edge.

Generously sprinkle sesame seeds on top;gently infuse the sesame seeds, using the rolling pin (don’t strech the dough).Bake until the dough is puffed and golden in color. It takes about 7-10 minutes. Keep an eye on your oven!

Ingredients:

1 kg / 2 lb. 4 oz. all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup/ 100 g. /3.5 oz. sugar
2 cups luke-warm water
1 cup white sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

For the filling:

Zaatar, or any spreadable cheese

Directions:

1. First off, check the expiration date on the package of yeast.
2. In a large ceramic bowl, mix the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Add the luke-warm water and combine all the ingredients with your hands. (You may need to add more water than the called for. The amount of moisture in the flour determines how much you need to add).
3. When the mixture starts coming together, knead it thoroughly and push your hands curving your fingers over the dough, getting a malleable dough.
4. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside for 1 hour to double in size.

To roll and bake:

1. Preheat the oven to 230 °C/ 450°F.
2. Place the rack in the lower third, just below center of the oven.
3. When the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle some flour on a counter top and divide the dough to nineequal portions.
4. Place one of the dough over the floured surface and stretch it with a rolling pin and roll it to a round circle about 20 cm/8 inches in diameter and about 1.5 cm ½ inch thick.
5. Using a 10 cm/4 inches round cookie cutter, cut a hole close to the upperedge.
6. Place the round dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you need to transfer it delicately to the sheet to maintain its form).
7. Generously sprinkle sesame seeds on top;gently infuse the sesame seeds, using the rolling pin (don’t strech the dough).Bake until the dough is puffed and golden in color. It takes about 7-10 minutes. Keep an eye on your oven!
8. Remove from the oven and once cool enough to handle, create a small hole in the center of the kaaki and add some zaatar. Shake a bit and enjoy warm. Repeat with the remaining dough! How delicious!