flipKaʿk, Spiced Dry Bread Rings
Kaʿk, Spiced Dry Bread Rings
Why this dish? al-Khwârizmî traveled from Khwârezm to Baghdad, and the caliphate's scholars roamed the roads to Samarkand or Andalusia. These hard bread rings, which keep for weeks, were the ideal provision for travelers and caravans.
Small dough rings flavored with sesame, cumin, and aniseed, baked then thoroughly dried to become crunchy and durable — a road snack to be dipped in water or milk.
You take the road, as I once took it toward the City of Peace? Then carry these kaʿk. Knead the dough with anise and cumin, roll it into rings — round, for the circle is the most perfect of figures — and bake them, then dry them in the cooling oven. Thus hardened, they do not spoil, even on long sands. Dip them in the waterskin water and they become tender again. It is the bread of the geometer on his way: light to carry, faithful as a theorem.
- •Wheat flour — several handfuls (base)
- •Sesame seeds — a handful (garnish)
- •Cumin and aniseed — a pinch of each (spices)
- •Olive oil — a drizzle (fat)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning and preservation)
- •Sourdough starter — a little (fermentation)
Kaʿk, Spiced Dry Bread Rings
Small dough rings flavored with sesame, cumin, and aniseed, baked then thoroughly dried to become crunchy and durable — a road snack to be dipped in water or milk.
Why this dish? al-Khwârizmî traveled from Khwârezm to Baghdad, and the caliphate's scholars roamed the roads to Samarkand or Andalusia. These hard bread rings, which keep for weeks, were the ideal provision for travelers and caravans.
You take the road, as I once took it toward the City of Peace? Then carry these kaʿk. Knead the dough with anise and cumin, roll it into rings — round, for the circle is the most perfect of figures — and bake them, then dry them in the cooling oven. Thus hardened, they do not spoil, even on long sands. Dip them in the waterskin water and they become tender again. It is the bread of the geometer on his way: light to carry, faithful as a theorem.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wheat flour — several handfuls (base)
- Sesame seeds — a handful (garnish)
- Cumin and aniseed — a pinch of each (spices)
- Olive oil — a drizzle (fat)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning and preservation)
- Sourdough starter — a little (fermentation)
Ingredients
- Wheat flour — 400 g (base)
- Warm water — 220 ml (hydration)
- Baker's yeast — 1 packet (or 100 g sourdough) (fermentation)
- Sesame seeds — 3 tbsp (garnish)
- Ground cumin and aniseed — 1 tsp each (spices)
- Olive oil — 3 tbsp (fat)
- Salt — 1.5 tsp (seasoning and preservation)
Method
- Mix flour, salt, spices, oil, yeast, and water, then knead into a soft dough. Let rise for 1 hour.
- Divide into small ropes, form rings, and roll in sesame seeds.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake at 200°C for 15 to 18 minutes until nicely colored.
- Lower the oven to 120°C and dry the rings for 30 to 40 minutes to harden them.
- Let cool completely and store in an airtight container: they keep for several weeks.
How it was made : The kaʿk, a ring-shaped bread-biscuit attested early in the Arab-Muslim world, existed in savory and sweet versions. Its double baking (then drying) made it suitable for long preservation, making it a prized travel and pilgrimage provision.
The contemporary twist : Present in a stacked crown 'algorithm rings' style, to dip in mint tea.
Sources : Nawal Nasrallah, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens, Brill, 2007 · Lilia Zaouali, L'Islam à table, La Découverte, 2004
Al-Khwârizmî · Charactorium
