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Prep time
1 hour
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Cook time
10 minutes
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makes
About 24 mini loaves
Author Notes
This recipe is adapted from my auntie Fariza’s “Ba’aat” recipe, a simple olive-oil village bread from Lebanon that requires minimal kneading and is beautifully nutty and aromatic with toasted seeds. I like it served with a zingy olive-oil-zaatar paste which I included in this recipe. It is guaranteed to take your love of home-baked bread goodness to the next level. —bidoun
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Ingredients
- Bread Starter
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1 tablespoon
Active dry east
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1 tablespoon
sugar
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1/2 cup
Warm water (warm enough to activate the yeast but not kill it!)
- Main Ingredients
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3 cups
Whole wheat flour
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2 cups
Artisan bread flour
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1/4 cup
Toasted sesame seeds
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1/4 cup
Aniseeds
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1 tablespoon
Sunflower seeds
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1 tablespoon
Pumpkin seeds
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1 tablespoon
Nigella seeds - Also known as black caraway, black cumin, or kalonji (optional but highly recommended)
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1/2 teaspoon
Salt
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1/4 teaspoon
Ground mahleb (optional but highly recommended)
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1 1/2 cups
Warm water
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1/3 cup
Olive oil and about a 1/4 cup more for greasing and shaping
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5 tablespoons
High quality zaatar (I like the Mooneh Original Zaatar blend)
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1/2 cup
Olive oil
Directions
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Get the starter going by mixing the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large glass cup or jar covered loosely with kitchen towel or small saucer. You’ll know your yeast is active and healthy when a nice thick layer of foam forms on the water’s surface (about 7 minutes)
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Dump all of your main ingredients together (except for the water and oil) in a big mixing bowl and give them a nice whisk to incorporate.
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To the bowl, add your starter mixture and about 1 cup of water, then use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix well. Once all the dry ingredients are wet, start adding the remaining water slowly and kneading until the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball (about 5 minutes). Finally, add the oil and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be slightly less sticky when you add the oil and should come together nicely into a ball.
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Transfer the dough to a clean bowl greased with a dash of olive oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit in your kitchen’s warmest corner for about 30 minutes or until it doubles in size.
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Once doubled in size, transfer to a work surface, kneed for no more than 2 minutes, then cut and shape into 24 boules (about 2.5” diameter) and let rest covered with a kitchen towel for about 10 minutes. Now is a good time to turn on the oven.
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Set your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Dip your fingers in olive oil and press the surface of each boule lightly so it turns into a moderately-flattened, roughly-shaped circle. It should keep about 1/2" thickness and you should see the marks of your fingers creating an uneven moon-like surface.
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Transfer to a baking sheet, and pop in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the bottom is dry and golden, then transfer the sheets to broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until the top surface is toasted and golden.
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Let cool for a few minutes uncovered.
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Meanwhile make the Zaatar paste simply by mixing the Zaatar and olive oil in a bowl.
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Enjoy by dipping in or scooping the Zaatar paste.
Also try with a hard cheese and some fig jam or honey.
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