Chebakia

Ingredients

• 250 g flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 60 g melted butter, cooled
• 1 large pinch of salt
• 3 g baking powder
• 5 g sugar
• 3 g fresh baker’s yeast (or 2 g instant yeast)
• 65 ml water and 10 ml orange blossom water
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 50 g toasted sesame seeds, whole or ground
• a few saffron threads
• 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of ground anise
• 1 pinch of gum arabic
• sunflower oil for frying
• honey syrup for soaking

Method

1. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the sesame, salt, sugar, baking powder, butter, cinnamon, anise and gum arabic and rub everything between your hands until the fat is worked in.
2. Dissolve the yeast with the saffron in the water and add it to the flour, then add the egg yolk, vinegar and orange blossom water and knead into a slightly firm dough.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, cover and leave to rest for about 1 hour.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured surface no thicker than 4 mm and cut it into strips about 7 cm wide.
5. Cut rectangles with the pastry wheel and make cuts in each rectangle to form strips, without cutting through the edges.
6. Slide your fingers between the strips and turn the piece over in one movement so that the smooth side is on top; leave to dry in the air for a few minutes.
7. Heat the oil and fry the pieces until golden.
8. Dip them straight into the honey syrup, drain and sprinkle with toasted sesame.