Lebanese Kaak

“Kaak! Kaak, Kaak!” shout cart vendors on sidewalks or drivers honking and roaming through the streets of villages to sell their fresh, hot Kaak. Found throughout Lebanon and considered a humble breakfast for passers by, this popular sesame coated soft bread previously paired with cheese or Zaatar now serves as an inspiration to modernized street food concepts around the country.

These urban hotspots are serving Kaak with savoury Lebanese fillings like local cheese or fried cauliflower as well as sweet western spreads like Nutella or Lotus. The delicacy so loved by all, can be found in summertime festival kiosks and is considered the first target for expats on their way home from the airport. During the past years bakeries have been preparing special vacuumed sealed packages for those expats to take a taste of home with them wherever they go

Preparation Time and Cooking Time: 2 hrs

Serves : 6 Kaaks

Ingredients you will need

1 Kg flour
500 ml water
70 g sugar
7 g instant yeast
6 g salt
70 g sesame seeds
20 g honey or molasses

Equipment

Bowl
Cloth
Baking Sheet

Instructions

Method

In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar together.
Add water to the dry ingredients, kneading gradually to form a soft dough. Add up to an additional 150 ml of water if the dough is not taking form.
Knead the dough for a couple of minutes before placing it in a bowl covered with a cloth for an hour to double in size.
Prepare coating by combining the sesame seeds with honey or molasses, loosened with some water.
Divide the dough into about 6 parts to create standard sized Kaak, rolling each ball into 15 to 20 cm circles poking four holes in the middle to replicate its traditional shape.
Brush each Kaak with the prepared coating to cover with toasted sesame.
Place the Kaak in an oiled baking sheet and let it rest for about 30 minutes to better activate the yeast.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Bake for about 10 minutes until the Kaak is golden, keeping an eye on the oven.
Lay the Kaak on a flat surface, slice through to open, add filling and enjoy!

Questions and Tips

Why is the dough left to rest twice? This will allow the Kaak to be softer and fluffier on the inside.
Why is the sesame mixed with honey or molasses? This will allow the sesame to stick to the dough, create a crispier crust and add a little sweetness found in traditional Kaak.
Can the Kaak be freezed for later use? If you plan on freezing the Kaak, bake until the dough is fully cooked without letting it get a golden color. It should look similar to batches bought for travel or to assemble at home.
Make sure you don’t mistake the color of molasses if used to the golden crust required.

Benard Chedid

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