AI-generated image
Tahinov hats
Tahini swirl bread
Tahinov hats: flaky Armenian bread swirled with sweet tahini
ArmenianTahinov hats is the Lenten treat of Armenian bakeries from Yerevan to Aleppo and Beirut: a soft dough rolled thin, spread with sweetened tahini, rolled up, coiled like a snail and flattened again, so it bakes into flaky, nutty layers. It is eaten with tea through the forty days before Easter, when butter is put away. A common mistake is spreading the tahini right to the edges, which makes it ooze and burn. Chef's tip: twist the filled rope before coiling it; the twist makes the layers show through when the bread is flattened.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
For the filling
- 7 oz tahiniwell stirred
- 4 oz sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the top
- 1 tbsp watermixed with 1 tsp sugar, for brushing
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp salt. Add 1 ¼ cups warm water and 3 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and rise for 1 hour.
8 minStep 2: Mix 7 oz tahini, 4 oz sugar and ½ tsp ground cinnamon into a thick paste.
Step 3: Divide the dough into 8. Roll one piece into a 25 × 35 cm rectangle, spread with an eighth of the filling, leaving a 1 cm border. Common mistake: spreading to the edges; it leaks.
Step 4: Roll up from the long side into a rope, twist it a few times and coil it into a snail. Tuck the end under and rest for 10 minutes. Repeat.
10 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F). Roll each coil gently into an 18 cm round and lay on lined trays.
Step 6: Brush with 1 tbsp water and bake for 15–18 minutes, until golden. Cool on a rack.
18 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tahinov hats take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 25 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 fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Basque burnt cheesecake
This crustless cheesecake was created in the early 1990s at La Viña, a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastián (Donostia) in the Basque Country, and is now famous around the world. It's baked very hot so the top caramelises almost black and the sides rise and crack, while the middle stays soft and creamy, almost runny. There's no base and no water bath, and the rough, rustic look is the point: it's lined with crumpled baking paper. La Viña uses a spoonful of wheat flour; cornflour does the same job and keeps it gluten free. Chef's tip: take it out of the oven while the centre still wobbles like a soft set custard; it firms up as it cools, and if it looks set in the oven, the middle will be dry instead of creamy.
Spanish
Almond cookiesOat, coconut and almond cookies
A big batch of crunchy cookies with rolled oats, coconut, chopped almonds and chunks of cooking chocolate. For a change, use cashew nuts instead of almonds.
Reform tortaWalnut meringue chocolate cake
Belgrade pastry shops have sold reform torta since the early twentieth century, and it is still the cake Serbian families bring out for birthdays, weddings and the slava. Three thin layers of walnut meringue, crisp at the edge and chewy inside, are stacked with a dense chocolate butter cream made with egg yolks cooked over steam until thick. It is very rich, so cut thin slices and serve with strong coffee. The usual slip is beating the butter into a chocolate mixture that is still warm, which melts it and splits the cream; let it cool to room temperature first. Chef's tip: assemble the cake the day before; overnight in the fridge the meringue softens a little and the cake slices cleanly with a hot knife.