Kaak Bil Milch
Savoury Baked Bite
Portions:
60 pieces
Cook Time:
1.5 hours
Can I adapt this easily as a vegetarian or vegan?
Yes
Ka’ak bil Milch (sometimes called kahqa) are savoury breadstick-like bakes, a staple in almost every Jewish Sudanese household. Every family has a recipe, and every grandma has a stash ready for visitors. It is, quite simply, the taste of home.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dry fennel seeds, or 2 fennel teabags
500g strong white bread flour
170g butter or margarine
1 tablespoon nigella seeds
½ tablespoon ground mahlab*
4g instant dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
30g sesame seeds; lightly toasted and cooled
200ml water (approx.)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 170°C
Step One
Boil the fennel in a pan with the 50ml of the water until a very dark yellow colour, then strain and set aside to cool
Step Two
Combine the flour with the butter by gently using the tips of your fingers to form bread-crumb like consistency
Step Three
Mix in in the nigella seeds, mahlab, sesame seeds, yeast and salt
Step Four
Combine the fennel tea with the rest of the water
Make a well in the dry mixture and pour the water into it
Step Five
Knead to form a soft, stretchy dough
Step Six
Shape:
Roll a piece of dough into a sausage shape about 10cm long and 1cm in diametre, then join the ends together to make a ring and press the ends together firmly
Step Seven
Bake for 40 mins, until golden brown and crispy
Notes
Mahlab is traditional ingredient made by grinding the stones of the St Lucie cherry. It gives a distinct earthy flavour, but can be omitted if it’s too hard to get hold of