Palestinian Sesame Crusted Bread Rings (Ka’Ak Bil Simsim) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm milk
4 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
1 egg (beaten with a few pinches of sugar)
1/4 cup white sesame seeds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 f.
Mix the warm water, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a mixer and mix gently.
Let sit for 10 minutes or until yeast foams doubles in size.
Once the yeast is ready, add the vegetable oil and milk to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed.
Sift the flour and the salt together then, slowly, add it one spoonful at a time, to the liquids, while the mixer is turned on low.
Mix until all the flour is incorporated, then turn off the mixer immediately.
Do not overwork the dough.
Dust your hands with flour, and remove the dough from the mixing bowl.
The dough will be very sticky, but do your best to form it into a ball and move it to a clean, flour-lined bowl.
Cover the dough-filled bowl with a towel and let sit in a warm spot for 30-40 minutes.
The dough will double in size.
Punch it down and remove it from the bowl.
It's consistency will have softened and it won't be as sticky.
Sprinkle flour on a working surface.
Place the dough over the flour. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Roll out each piece into a long log and form into a ring.
Brush the rings with egg wash on all sides and roll in sesame seeds.
Place the ring a sheet pan.
Put an oven-proof pot of boiling water in the oven, underneath the bread. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until the bread turns a light brown color.
Remove and place on a rack to cool.
OPTION: You can skip the long detailed instructions from #2 to #15 if you make the dough in a bread machine.