Sweet Tahini Pastry

In Turkish cuisine tahini is not as common as it is in Middle East cuisines. Tahini is usually used for sweet pastries. Here is the sweet tahini pastry (known as Tahinli Ekmek in Turkish, direct translation: bread with tahini) recipe which is a common pastry for afternoon teas or breakfasts. 

Sweet Tahini Pastry

Sweet Tahini Pastry

Origin: Turkish, Arabic

Difficulty: Hard 

Ingredients:

-(Must) 1 tsp sugar

-(Must) 3 tsp dried yeast

-(Must) 2/3 cup lukewarm milk
-(Must) 3 eggs; 2 lightly beaten, plus 1 egg yolk whisked with 11/2 tablespoons water
-(Must) 2 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
-(Must) 4 cups all-purpose flour
-(Optional) 2 tsp sea salt
-(Must) 1 cup tahini
-(Must) 1 cup superfine sugar
-(Optional) Sesame seeds or walnut, for sprinkling

Sweet Tahini Pastry

Directions:

Combine the 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the yeast. Set aside for about 8 minutes, or until foamy. Combine the lukewarm milk and the beaten eggs, then add to the yeast mixture with another 2 tablespoons lukewarm water and the olive oil, stirring well to combine.

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, then add the yeast mixture and stir to form a coarse dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, put the tahini, superfine sugar and the whole egg in a bowl, mixing until well combined — the mixture will become quite thick.

Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 12 even-sized balls. Working with one ball at a time, roll each out into a circle with a 7-inch diameter using a rolling pin. Spread 1 tablespoon of the tahini mixture on each round, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Roll up each to form a long sausage shape and continue to roll until it’s about 12 inches long. Use your hands to shape each sausage into a tight spiral — each spiral should be about 4 inches in diameter — then flatten slightly. Transfer to lightly greased baking sheets, cover loosely with a dish towel, and set aside for about 30 minutes, or until puffy.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Brush the top of each spiral with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Tahini spirals are best eaten on the day of making but will keep, frozen in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.

Sweet Tahini Pastry

Estimetad Nutrition Values  (by myfitnesspal.com)
Serves: 12	Calorie	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sugar
Per Serving	392 kcal	62 gr	15 gr	10 gr	26 gr