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Aish fino
Soft white finger rolls
Aish fino: soft, slightly sweet white finger rolls for Egyptian school sandwiches
Ask any Egyptian about school lunches and aish fino comes up: the long, soft white rolls that bakeries sell by the bagful each morning and parents split and fill for lunch boxes. The crumb is pillowy and slightly sweet, the crust thin and pale gold, perfect for white cheese, halawa, egg, falafel or a smear of molasses and tahini. Its name comes from the French pain fin. Allow about 1½ hours for rising. Overbaking is the classic mistake; take them out while still pale gold, otherwise the crust turns hard instead of soft. Chef's tip: cover the rolls with a clean tea towel as soon as they leave the oven so the steam keeps the crust tender.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour
- ¼ oz instant yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup lukewarm whole milk
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ⅜ oz buttersoftened
- 2 tbsp milkfor brushing
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour, ¼ oz instant yeast, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Add ¾ cup lukewarm whole milk and ¾ cup lukewarm water and mix into a rough dough.
Step 2: Knead until smooth, then work in 1 ⅜ oz butter and knead until the dough is silky and elastic and passes the windowpane test.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Step 4: Divide into 10 pieces. Flatten each into a rectangle, roll it up tightly from the long side and roll under your palms into a finger about 18 cm long.
Step 5: Set on lined trays, cover and rest until puffy, about 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan).
Step 6: Make a shallow cut along the top of each roll, brush with 2 tbsp milk and bake until just pale golden and the bases sound hollow.
13 minStep 7: Cover with a tea towel straight away and cool under it.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aish fino take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lukewarm whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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