Syrian Bread

Ka'ick

Anise Bread

Makes 50

8 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon anise seed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound butter

About 1 1/2 cups milk

1 package active dry yeast

2 eggs

Mix flour, sugar, anise seed, and salt. Heat butter with milk to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in milk and add to flour mixture. Add eggs and knead well. Cover and set about 2 hours until dough rises. Then cut in small pieces 3 inches in diameter. Cover with damp cloth and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Flatten each piece to 1/2 inch thickness and place in dry pan in slow oven (250 degrees). Bake until bottoms are golden brown, then place under broiler until tops are light brown. Dip in the syrup while both syrup and bread are still hot. Let cool on wire rack.

Qatir lil ka'ick

Syrup for Anise Bread

1/4 stick butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon rose water

Combine all ingredients and boil 2 minutes. Place in a bowl and dip each ka'ick in this syrup.

ring-a-lings

Ring-A-Lings: Sweet Yeast Rolls
as adapted by Dorothy Hanna from the original recipe by Bertha Jorgensen, Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner, 1955.

Makes 22 rolls

Dough
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
2 unbeaten eggs


Filling
1/3 cup softened butter
1 cup pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts, ground
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

Alternate Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
Fruit Preserves

Glaze
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup orange juice


1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a bowl and two large baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine two cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix well. Set aside.

3. In small saucepan, heat milk and 1/3 cup butter until warm.
(120 to 130 degrees F.)

4. Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in remaining 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour to form a stiff dough.

5. Place dough in greased bowl and rotate to cover with oil; cover loosely with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 35-50 minutes.

6. In a small bowl, combine nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside. See step 8 if topping rolls with fruit preserves instead of cinnamon and brown sugar.

7. In second small bowl, blend glaze ingredients. Set aside.

8. Roll out dough to make a 22x12 rectangle. Spread the soften butter lengthwise over half of the dough. Sprinkle filling over butter.
If you plan to top the rolls with preserves, spread powdered sugar only over half of the buttered dough.

9. Fold dough over filling to make a 22x6 rectangle. Cut crosswise into strips 1x6. Twist each strip 4-5 times. To shape rolls, hold folded end of strip down on greased cookie sheet to form center; coil strip around center. Tuck loose end under. Cover with towel and let rise in warm place 35-45 minutes.

10. Bake for 10-12 minutes then brush tops with glaze. Bake an additional 3-5 minutes.
If topping with preserves, top each roll with approximately 1-2 Tsp. preserves of your choice. Cool on wire rack.

11. Serve warm.