One Perfect Bite: Kesra - Egyptian Sesame Bread

Friday, January 8, 2016

Kesra - Egyptian Sesame Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Bread is the staff of life in Egypt. It is subsidized by the government and consumed at nearly all meals. In working-class Egyptian homes, a meal may consist of nothing more than bread and beans. While bread provides carbohydrates and protein for the diet, in Egypt it is also used as a utensil for scooping up food and sauces. While most of the bread that is eaten is a thick, glutinous form of pita bread, other types, such as Kesra, are also popular. Kesra is a thick and dense flat bread that has more substance than pita and is actually easier to make. It is flavored with salt and sesame seeds, but it contains no oil so it will stale quickly. It's best eaten warm and any leftovers should be tightly wrapped and reheated for serving from the oven. You'll find this recipe uses more yeast and salt than standard bread recipes, but the bread is delicious. Here is how it is made.

Kesra - Sesame Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by The book Egyptian Cooking

Ingredients:
3-1/3 ups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup lukewarm water + additional water as required to mix
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water
Sesame seeds for sprinkling

Directions:
1) Add sugar to 1 cup water. Stir in yeast and let sit for 20 minutes.
2) equal pieces, sift flour and salt together, turn onto counter top and make a well in center of resulting mound.
3) Slowly add yeast, mix into flour, adding additional water as needed to form a homogeneous dough. Divide dough into thirds and shape into 3 flat rounds. Place on a floured baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes.
4) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5) Beat egg and water together to form a wash. Brush on top of disks and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6) Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: 3 loaves.