Sweet Tahini Rolls from Falastin

I don't normally like to put two recipes from one cookbook in my blog (because I want you to look at the cookbook, obviously) but this one is all over the internet already; what's one more place? The culminating group recipe for the Rainy Day Bites Cookbook Club from Falastin is these sweet tahini rolls. They are not all that sweet, actually! 

I had an interesting jam at home that went well with them - cacao passion fruit, which also wasn't super sweet but had a murkiness to it alongside sweetness - this seemed to match the toasty tahini flavor as well. I like the suggestion in the cookbook of mixing grape molasses with tahini; I'll have to try that sometime.

 

SWEET TAHINI ROLLS

Kubez el tahineh
(from Falastin)

Dough:
1 1/2 tsp fast-acting dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
7 1/2 tbsp whole milk, lukewarm
Olive oil, for greasing
2 cups plus 6 tbsp (300 g) all-purpose flour
Salt
5 tbsp (75 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
7 tbsp (120 g) tahini
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tbsp white sesame seeds

1. To make the dough, put the yeast, sugar and milk into a small bowl. Mix to combine, then set aside for 5 minutes, or until it starts to bubble.
2. Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil.
3. Put the flour and 1/2 tsp of salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed, then slowly pour in the yeast mixture. Add the melted butter and continue to mix for about 1 minute.
4. Add the egg to the mixer bowl, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes, for the dough to get well kneaded. Using your hands, scrape the dough into a ball; it will be slightly sticky and elastic. Place it in the oiled bowl, turning it a couple of times so that the dough gets well greased. Cover the bowl and let rest in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough is almost doubled in size.
5. Put the 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar and the cinnamon into a small bowl. Mix well to combine, then set aside.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 14 x 20 inches (35 x 50 cm). Drizzle the tahini over the dough, then, using the back of a spoon or a spatula, spread it out evenly, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) clear of tahini at both the shorter ends. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the tahini and let rest for 10 minutes, until the sugar looks all wet.
7. Starting from one of the long sides, roll the dough inward to form a long, thin sausage. Trim away about 3/4 inch (2 cm) from each end, then slice the dough into 10 equal pieces; they should each be just over 1 3/4 inches (4.5 cm) long. Sit each piece upright, so that a cut side is facing upward, then, using your hands, gently flatten it to form a 3 1/4-inch- (8 cm-) wide circle. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. Transfer each roll of dough to the prepared baking sheet, spaced 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Brush the top and sides with the egg yolk, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 18 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside for about 20 minutes — you don’t want them to be piping hot — then serve.

Makes: 10 rolls

Falastin by Sami Tamini and Tara Wigley.

So this is a great cookbook! I have enjoyed cooking and baking my way through it, with so many more recipes I want to try, especially after seeing other posts from the cookbook club in Instagram.

Previously, I made the semifreddo from the dessert section. 

Other recipes I've made:
Hassan's easy eggs with za'atar and lemon
Green shakshuka
Hummus with kofta
Roasted [squash and] zucchini with whipped feta and pistachios
[Cauliflower] musakhan (instead of chicken!)
Lemon chicken with za'atar

Other recipes I want to make:
Fruit and yogurt with sesame oat crumble and tahini-date syrup
Scrambled red shakshuka
Cauliflower and cumin fritters with mint yogurt
Mashed turnip with greens, caramelized onions, and feta
Chilled cucumber and tahini soup with spicy pumpkin seeds
Beet and feta galette with za'atar and honey
Pasta with yogurt and parsley breadcrumbs
Baked fish kubbeh
Baked fish in tahini sauce
Open cauliflower pies (sfiha)
Kofta with tahini, potato, and onion
Ma'amoul bars