KUBANEH (YEMENITE JEWISH BREAD)
Kubaneh is an amazing Jewish Yemeni pull-apart bread consisting of multilayered rolls laminated with butter and nigella seeds. Both the yeast and sourdough versions are delicious and can be enjoyed at any meal and paired with sweet or savory foods. Traditionally, the bread is baked for Sabbath (Saturday) morning and served with boiled eggs, grated fresh tomatoes, and spicy zhoug sauce.
Provided by Melissa Johnson
Categories Recipes
Time 1h30m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 34
Steps:
- Sourdough Prep
- If you're doing the sourdough version, make the sweet stiff starter the night before you plan to bake. After mixing the ingredients, knead the starter dough a bit on your counter to fully incorporate the ingredients, then place the blob in a jar, press it down with your knuckles and cover loosely. The starter should double (or more) in 8-12 hours, and you can proceed with the rest of the instructions.
- Mixing
- Pull 57g/half stick of butter from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it on a small plate to soften. Fold the wrapper in half and save it to grease your springform pan and countertop. Reminder: The butter doesn't go into the dough during mixing.
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, (yeast), and salt.
- Add the water, whole egg, egg white, (and sourdough starter broken into pieces). Mix thoroughly until the dough is smooth.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of oil on top of the dough, cover, and let the dough rise until it has more than doubled. In a warm summer kitchen, this took 1 hour for the yeast version and 4.5 hours for the sourdough version.
- Shaping and Final Proof
- Smudge a bit of the softened butter onto your saved butter wrapper and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Use this wrapper to lightly grease your countertop too.
- Scrape the dough out of the bowl and de-gas it by pressing your palms into it.
- Divide the dough in 12-18 pieces. See the photo galleries for different outcomes with fewer large pieces (yeast) versus more smaller pieces (sourdough).
- Working one piece at a time, spread the dough thin with butter-coated fingertips. Don't worry if you tear the dough a bit.
- Layer more butter on the thin dough, then sprinkle it with nigella seeds. (Have a paper towel nearby to occasionally de-seed your buttery fingers as the seeds will shred the next dough ball.)
- Fold the dough in thirds, and then roll it from a short side.
- Place the roll in your pan, working from the center outward. It's okay if the rolls topple over a bit. You can adjust them later, and a little chaos adds to the appeal.
- When all the rolls are done, cover your pan and let the dough rise until it has more than doubled. This was 1 hour for the yeast version and 2.5 hours for the sourdough version. See the photo gallery for expansion.
- Baking
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Beat the egg yolk with a tablespoon of water and brush the top of the dough. Sprinkle with nigella seeds and bake for 30 minutes uncovered.
- Let the dough cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before you remove the outer ring of the pan. Serve on the base.
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Salim Juma
[email protected]This recipe was a complete disaster. The bread didn't rise properly and it was completely inedible. I'm so disappointed.
Mohammad kauser kajol
[email protected]I didn't like the flavor of this bread at all. I think it was the cardamom that I didn't like.
Shan Akhtar
[email protected]This recipe was a bit too complicated for me. I think I'll try a simpler recipe next time.
Ela Ayres
[email protected]The bread was a bit dry for my taste. I think I'll try adding some more butter or oil to the dough next time.
Rabin Mahara
[email protected]This recipe was a bit too sweet for my taste. I think I'll try it again with less honey next time.
Nahid Asif
[email protected]I had some trouble getting the dough to rise properly, but the bread still turned out okay. It wasn't as fluffy as I would have liked, but it had a good flavor.
jumielyn sabares
[email protected]This recipe was a bit more challenging than I expected, but the end result was worth it. The kubaneh was delicious and I'm glad I tried it.
Deidara Akatsuki
[email protected]I've never had kubaneh before, but this recipe was a great introduction. The bread was soft and fluffy, with a nice crust. I loved the flavor of the cardamom and the sweetness of the honey.
Zeeshan hyder
[email protected]This recipe is a keeper! The kubaneh was delicious and my family loved it. It was easy to make and I'll definitely be making it again.
Ahmed Aminu Ahmed
[email protected]This bread is amazing! It's so soft and fluffy, with a perfect crust. I love the flavor of the cardamom and the sweetness of the honey. I will definitely be making this again.
kato Richard
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and the bread turned out perfectly. It was so fluffy and flavorful, and the crust was golden brown. I served it with honey and butter and it was amazing.
stephen cerdrick
[email protected]This was my first time making kubaneh and it was a success! The bread was delicious and everyone loved it. I'll definitely be making it again.
Jill Lotzer
[email protected]I've tried many kubaneh recipes over the years, but this one is by far the best. The dough was easy to work with and the bread baked up beautifully. The flavor was amazing, with just the right amount of sweetness and spice.
Stephanie Godwin
[email protected]This kubaneh recipe is a real winner! The bread turned out so fluffy and flavorful, with a perfect golden crust. I followed the recipe exactly and it was easy to make. My family loved it and I'll definitely be making it again.