Za’atar Kubaneh Bread
There’s a wonderful Middle Eastern restaurant in Bucharest called Mace. Run by Joseph Hadad, a phenomenal chef, it serves incredibly delicious fare, from meze platters, incredible grilled meats, to my favourite, the knafeh on a skewer, which is probably one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted.
The food is made with so much passion and love and it always hits the perfect spot. The service is impeccable and the portions plentiful. I also love that they make things I wouldn’t normally cook for myself which, lately, has become what I am mostly looking for in a restaurant.
One of their delicious specialties is their kubaneh bread. Layered with butter and za’atar, it comes warm out of the oven in a little pan, ready to be dipped in all the colourful, spiced spreads.
The magic of Kubaneh lies in its simple yet carefully selected ingredients. Flour, sugar, salt, olive oil, egg yolks and yeast form the basis of the dough, while plenty of butter contribute to its luscious layers. A touch of turmeric gives it its gorgeous golden colour, while the za’atar that fills every bun elevates the aromatic profile.
I have chosen to make this bread over two days, preparing the dough the day before, letting it rise overnight in the fridge and finishing the shaping and baking in the morning. When ready to serve, I warmed it for another 10 minutes in the oven and slathered it once more generously with butter. At our table it disappeared rather quickly.
This bread is phenomenal with a platter of appetisers or meze, or even to accompany a simple salad. Its beautiful flavour will enhance any meal. I chose to serve it with this salad and it was an absolute hit.
Let me know if you make it and make sure to leave a comment if you enjoyed it!
Ingredients (makes 1x 20cm pull apart loaf, about 12 small rolls)
20g fresh yeast or 7g instant action dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp turmeric
250 ml tepid water
500g white flour
3 tbsp za’atar, or to taste
100g softened butter
1 tbsp butter, separately, for glazing
Start by making the dough. I strongly suggest you use a stand mixer for this one as the kneading time is rather long. Alternatively, you can obviously knead it by hand for a good 15 minutes.
Add the water, fresh yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment. Mix well and let sit for a while until the mixture starts to foam and bubble.
Add the olive oil and egg yolks, mix well.
Add the dry ingredients: flour, salt and turmeric. Start mixing on a low speed until the dough starts coming together. Increase the speed and knead well, about 10 minutes.
In an oiled bowl place the formed dough and cover with a tea towel. Let rise for an hour at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
When ready to shape and bake, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Make sure the butter is very soft. Prepare your za’atar. Oil well a 20cm round tin.
Divide the dough in 12 portions. One by one, flatten the dough into a rectangle, about .5 cm thick. Spread generously with softened butter and sprinkle with za’atar.
Fold the long sides of the rectangle towards the middle then turn the dough around and roll into a tight little spiral. Place standing into the prepared tin.
One by one add the remaining dough spirals to the tin. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for another hour at room temperature.
Bake for 30 minutes until beautifully golden on top and cooked through. Should you wish to use a thermometer, the bread should be at around 82-88 degrees Celsius inside when done.
Slather immediately with the remaining tbsp of butter and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Serve warm with dips and spreads or just with an aromatic olive oil and salt. Enjoy!