Silva Mermer’s kitchen is her happy place, and baking is her alone time. They say people invest their time into the things they like most. Looking at Silva’s beautiful kitchen and her passion for cooking certainly fits that assertion.
She invited us to disturb her peace today to share her recipe for tahini bread (Tahinov Hatz in Armenian), an exceptionally popular pasty from the Caucasus region. Tahini bread can be found throughout the middle east, Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey.
Silva’s recipe was her mother’s, and her mother’s aunt’s before that, while her family was living in Kayseri, Turkey. Watch our video, and follow along to make your own tahini bread at home.
Silva’s Tahini Bread Tips
There is a benefit to preparing your ingredients beforehand. Silva lays out a baking sheet with parchment paper, and a number of measuring cups with her ingredients. She’s warmed her milk, melted her butter, and starts by mixing her yeast.
She uses a standing mixer to do the hard work. With the blade already spinning, she mixes her ingredients. The eggs are last in, and with the dough mixed, she switches to a dough hook attachment for the kitchenaid which will do the kneading.
You won’t get strong, but you’ll get a lot more done if you’re not kneading by hand.
Silva transfers her dough into a buttered bowl. “It’s a little bit sticky, but that’s fine.” She covers it with plastic wrap and then wraps the bowl in a towel, to keep it warm.
In Silva’s recipe, she adds a little cinnamon to her tahini spread. This is optional, but highly recommended.
Once her dough has risen, she unwraps it and prods it with her finger. There are little holes in the surface, and the dough is soft and squishy, exactly as she likes it.
Because the dough is so soft, she liberally covers her countertop in flour before rolling it out. And she keeps the dough she’s not working with covered by a towel.
There’s many ways to form a tahini bread roll, but Silva does it the traditional way. She rolls out a large circle of dough, and spreads the tahini spread around the dough in a doughnut shape, avoiding the middle and edges. Then with her finger she makes a hole in the center, and rolls the dough out towards the edges of the circle.
She splits her length of dough into two, twists both, and then coils it into a snail shape. “The more you twist, the flakier it will be.”
She gives the coil a roll with her pin to flatten it. “If you want it a little bit more doughy, you just [roll it less]. And if you want it more crispy, you roll it longer.”
“If it comes apart, that’s ok, you can just stick it back together.” She says while making her third coil.
With the baking tray full, she sets the dough aside to rise more. When it’s just about ready to go in the oven, she brushes it with her molasses and egg glaze. “We do this at the last minute so it will rise a bit more.”
Silva recommends her tahini bread with tea or coffee. Everyone in the house agrees.
Dietary Notes:
Nut free (glaze uses sesame seeds, which are optional), Peanut free, Vegetarian
What you’ll need:
Dough
4 cups (1L) flour
1 teaspoon (5mL) salt
¼ cup (60mL) water
2 ¼ teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (240mL) melted butter
1 cup (240mL) milk
⅓ (80 mL) olive oil
2 eggs
Filling
1 cup (240 mL) tahini
¾ cups (180 mL) sugar
¼ (60 mL) olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cinnamon.
Glaze
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon (15 mL) molasses
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
The Steps
Mix 2 ¼ teaspoons (10.1 mL) yeast, ¼ cup (60 mL) water, and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
Melt 1 cup (240 mL) butter.
In a large bowl, or using a standing mixer, mix 4 cups (1 L) flour and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt, then, beating constantly, mix in 1 cup (240 mL) milk, ⅓ cup (80 mL) oil, and 1 cup (240 mL) melted butter.
Mix in your yeast, and beat until fully combined.
Still beating, slowly add 2 eggs, and continue mixing until the dough is smooth.
Knead the dough on a large flat surface for 10 minutes.
Place your dough in a buttered dish with enough room for the dough to double in size. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.
When your dough is nearly risen, in a clean bowl mix 1 cup (240 mL) tahini, ¾ cups (180 mL) sugar, ¼ cup (60 mL) of oil, and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) cinnamon.
Flour your workspace, and lay out the dough. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Cover the dough with a towel while not working with it.
For each piece of dough, repeat steps 11 through 14. (Watch the video for a demonstration!)
Roll your dough into a big circle, about ¼ inch (1 cm) thick.
Spoon 1/6 of the tahini filling onto the circle in a doughnut shape. Using your finger, open a hole in the center of the dough and roll the dough towards the outside of the circle.
Separate your roll into two sections. Twist each. More twisting will make your final tahini bread more flaky.
Coil your twisted dough from one end, and flatten the coil with your rolling pin. Less flattening will yield a more doughy tahini bread.
Lay out your coils on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Space the coils about 2 inches (5 cm). Leave covered.
Preheat your oven to 350°
Let your tahini bread sit for another 30-45 minutes to continue to rise.
Mix your glaze by combining the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) molasses
Just before you put your bread in the oven. Brush each of your tahini bread coils with your glaze. Sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds.
Put your tahini bread in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Enjoy with coffee, tea, or alone!
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