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Shurayk
Shurayk (شريك): soft sweet sesame ring breads from Mecca and Medina
Shurayk is the bread that fills the bakery windows of Mecca and Medina in Ramadan and on Eid mornings: soft, golden rings, faintly sweet and fragrant with mahlab, crusted with sesame and nigella. Families break them open with white cheese, olives and a glass of milky tea after the dawn meal or on the first morning of Eid. The crumb is tender like a brioche but lighter, because it uses milk and a little ghee rather than lots of butter and eggs. A frequent mistake is letting the rings over-prove after shaping; the holes close up and the rings bake into puffy buns. Chef's tip: shape them with a generous hole about 4 cm wide, since it shrinks by half in the oven.
- Total time
- 145 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 1 ¾ oz sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground mahlab
- 1 cup whole milkwarm
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 ¾ oz gheesoft
For the top
- 2 tbsp milk
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Stir 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 ¾ oz sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground mahlab together in a big bowl. Add 1 cup whole milk and ¼ cup warm water and bring together into a dough.
Step 2: Knead for 5 minutes, then work in 1 ¾ oz ghee a little at a time and knead for another 5–7 minutes until the dough is silky and no longer greasy.
12 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
60 minStep 4: Divide into 8 pieces. Roll each into a rope about 30 cm long, join the ends into a ring and pinch the seam well. Set the rings on two lined trays with a wide hole in the middle.
Step 5: Cover loosely and prove for 25–30 minutes, until puffy but still springing back slowly when pressed. Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
30 minStep 6: Brush the rings with 2 tbsp milk and sprinkle thickly with 3 tbsp sesame seeds and 1 tsp nigella seeds.
Step 7: Bake until deep golden on top and underneath, 16–20 minutes; the base should sound hollow when tapped.
20 minStep 8: Cool on a rack under a clean cloth so the crust stays soft. Keep in a bag for a day, or freeze.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shurayk take?
- About 145 minutes in total: 125 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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 plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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