Kahk
Three recipes for “ka’ak” are given in the medieval Kitab al Wusla il al Habib (see appendix). Here is my mother’s. It makes rather a large quantity, but they keep for a long time in a box. My mother kept a biscuit tin permanently full of them. She said she used margarine rather than butter because it did not become rancid if you kept the kahk a long time.
Some people allow the dough to rise once in the large bowl first. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in the bottom of the bowl and turn the dough around in it to grease it all over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1–2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead again for a minute or so before shaping the little bracelets. Brush with egg and dip in sesame seeds. Place them on baking sheets and let them rise again for 20 minutes.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 46
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Dissolve the yeast in a little of the warm water. Add a small pinch of sugar and let it stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes, until it begins to bubble. Melt the margarine or butter and let it cool.
Step 2
Put the flour in a large bowl. Add salt, cumin, and coriander to taste (I prefer the larger quantity of spices given), mixing them in well. Work in the melted butter or margarine and the yeast mixture. Add the remaining warm water gradually, working it in, adding just enough to make a stiff dough that holds together in a ball. Knead vigorously for about 10 minutes, until smooth, shiny, and elastic.
Step 3
Take walnut-sized lumps of dough and roll them into thin cigarette shapes about 4 inches long. Bring the ends together and press them firmly against each other to make little bracelets. Paint their tops with the egg mixed with water, using a pastry brush or a piece of cotton. Dip the egg-coated surface in a plate containing sesame seeds. Some will stick.
Step 4
Place the bracelets on oiled baking sheets and allow them to rest and rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
Step 5
I am told that a good way of knowing when the bracelets are ready for the oven is to put a small lump of dough in a glass of water when it is first made. It will sink to the bottom, but then it will slowly rise again. When this happens, the rest of the dough is ready for baking.
Step 6
Bake the bracelets in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 300°F and bake for 1 hour longer. Then leave them to dry out for up to 2 or 3 hours in the lowest (225°F) oven, until they are firm and crisp right through and a pale-golden color. Let them cool before you put them in a box.
Variations
Step 7
We sometimes vary our kahk by sprinkling with mahlab (the ground kernel of a type of black cherry) as well as sesame seeds.
Step 8
Moroccans add 1/2 teaspoon allspice and a pinch of chili pepper to the dough.
