Turkish cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Bayram Çöreği

Soft Central Anatolian yeast braid with mahlab and fennel, sprinkled with sesame and black cumin.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 600 g wheat flour
• 7 g dry yeast
• 200 ml lukewarm milk
• 100 g soft butter
• 80 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp mahlab (ground cherry pits)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp black cumin (nigella seeds)

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast with 1 tsp of the sugar in the lukewarm milk and let foam for 10 min.; crush the fennel seeds finely in a mortar.
2. Knead the flour, remaining sugar, salt, mahlab, fennel, one egg and the soft butter with the yeast milk for 10 min. into a smooth, silky dough that pulls away from the bowl.
3. Let rise covered in a warm place for 75 min. until clearly doubled in size.
4. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, roll each into a 40 cm long strand and braid three strands each into two braids; tuck the ends firmly underneath.
5. Place the braids on a parchment-lined baking sheet, let rest 25 min., brush with the whisked second egg and sprinkle thickly with sesame and black cumin.
6. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 30–35 min. until the çöreks are deep golden brown; let cool on a wire rack and serve sliced with tea.