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Difficulty level medium
Produces twenty balls
45 minutes of hands-on work, in addition to proving and chilling. 20–25 minutes in the oven
Dina Macki, a chef and culinary writer, reveals her recipe for a remarkable honeycomb bread from Oman that is both sweet and savory. This bread is usually consumed throughout the month of Ramadan, and it is especially popular on Qaranqasho.
According to Dina, “Qaranqasho is a celebration that is traditional to the Omani people and takes place on the fourteenth day of Ramadan, primarily along the north coast.” The children dress up in traditional garb, and their moms prepare a large quantity of snacks and baskets of sweets, after which they open their doors to everyone who wants to come in. We refer to it as Omani Halloween due to the fact that all of the children go trick or treating, but there are no tricks involved.
The only time of the year that you will see khaliat nahal is during the month of Ramadan, particularly during Qaranqasho. This delicious, yeasted bread is shaped like a honeycomb and has the name “honeycomb,” which means “honeycomb.” Oman and Yemen are also good places to look for the recipe. The bread is always stuffed with cheese, but the syrups that are poured on top of it vary from family to family.
This recipe was drawn from Dina Macki’s book Bahari: Recipes From an Omani Kitchen and Beyond, which retails for DK at £26, and it was given the tasty test.
Explore further sweet bread recipes from different parts of the globe.
In terms of nutrition, each ball has 257 Kcal.
6.2 grams of fat (3.7 grams of saturated fat)
6.9 grammes of protein: carbohydrates
43 grams (19 grams of sugars)
1.3 grams of fiber
0.2 grams of salt
Ingredients
- 400 milliliters of whole milk, in addition to two tablespoons and fourteen grams of fast-acting dry yeast
- Plain flour, 650 grams
- caster sugar, 120 grams
- 2 free-range eggs of a medium size
- 200 grams of mozzarella
- 20 grams of cream cheese
- To be sprinkled with sesame seeds
- Flake form of sea salt to be sprinkled
As for the syrup:
- caster sugar, 200 grams
- 2 tablespoons of honey that is runny
- Vinegar 1 and a half oranges
- Four cardamom pods, to be crushed
Approach
In order to produce the syrup, combine all of the ingredients with 170 milliliters of water in a pot. The liquid should be brought to a boil over a high heat. Allow the mixture to boil for precisely ten minutes, then take it off the fire and allow it to cool down entirely. As the syrup is boiling, you should refrain from stirring it, and before you use it, you should wait until it has fully cooled down.
In a dish, pour the 400 milliliters of milk, whisk in the yeast, and then put the bowl aside for five minutes. If you are kneading the dough by hand, use a mixing bowl instead of a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Put the flour, sugar, and eggs in the bowl of the stand mixer. Following the addition of the yeasted milk mixture, knead the dough for ten to twelve minutes at a medium speed (or combine it with a wooden spoon, then knead it by hand for fifteen to seventeen minutes). Place a moist towel over the bowl and let it to rise for around one and a half hours, or until it has approximately doubled in size.
Make the dough into balls by dividing it into twenty equal pieces and shaping them. Begin by pressing the first ball onto a flat surface. Next, place a small slice of mozzarella and some cream cheese in the center of the ball; around 10 grams of each should be used. The remaining dough should be brought around the cheese to encapsulate it, the sides should be pinched together to seal it, and then the dough should be rolled back into a ball and gently flattened. Proceed in the same manner with the remaining dough balls and cheese.
If it is feasible, arrange the balls in a honeycomb pattern on a baking sheet that has been lined with baking paper. Place the balls on the baking sheet. A little amount of space should be left between each ball so that they have room to spread out as they develop. After covering with a moist towel, let the dough to rise for thirty to forty minutes.
Prepare the oven to a fan/gas temperature of 180 degrees Celsius. You should then sprinkle the balls with sesame seeds and brush them with the remaining two tablespoons of milk. Baking time should be between 20 and 25 minutes. Pour the syrup that has been allowed to cool over them as soon as they are removed from the oven. The dough will absorb it as it does so. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top, then wait ten minutes for the mixture to cool before ripping it apart and sharing it with others. The bread is at its peak flavor while it is still warm, but it may be stored in an airtight container for one to two days.
