INGREDIENTS :
• 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
• ½ teaspoon caster sugar
• 500g plain flour, plus more for dusting
• 250g sesame seeds, very finely ground
• 250g almond flour
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup orange blossom water
• 80ml melted butter
• 80ml cup olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground anise
• Generous pinch of saffron
• Pinch of salt
Frying and soaking the chebakia
• Frying oil
• 800g clear honey
• 250g toasted sesame seeds, to sprinkle
• 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
METHOD :
• Activate the dry yeast by adding ½ teaspoon of sugar and 3 tablespoons
of lukewarm water in a small bowl. Stir with a fork and leave for 5
minutes until foamy.
• In a large bowl transfer the remaining ingredients including the foamy
yeast and mix them all together using your hands. If your dough is too
sticky add a bit of flour to it and if it is not though, add a couple of
tablespoons of water until you reach a soft dough consistency.
• Flour a worktop and use your hands to knead the dough for 8 minutes
until smooth and slightly elastic. Divide the kneaded dough in 5 equal
parts and cover with a damp towel or place in a plastic bag for 15
minutes.
• Lightly flour a worktop and roll out a portion of dough until 5 mm
(0.2 inch) thick.
• Use a fluted pastry wheel and cut out approximately 7 cm x 5 cm (3
inch x 2 inch) rectangles. Then, add four evenly spaced slits across
each rectangle. Now is time to fold the pastry! This is the most
difficult step in my opinion, because you can damage the pastry if you
don’t handle to folding technique properly. I always need time to
remember how to do it! Traditionally the chebakia is folded in the shape
of a flower, a rose to be precise. But you know I am bit of a rebel and
like to play around with things. Below you will find out how to do it in
the shape of a rose but please feel free to be creative and find other
ways to do it! As long as it is folded and pinched on the corners, the
dough won’t break during the frying process and it will be just as yummy
as in the rose shape.
• To fold the chebakia in a rose shape, pick a rectangle of dough, hold
it with one hand and thread your index finger of the other hand through
the alternating slits. Pinch together the corners of the rectangle
closest to the tip of your index finger. Gently pull your finger out of
the slits and in the same time push the pinched corners through the
center inside out. Finally, open up the pastry dough to form a rose.
Place the chebakia on a tray and cover with a dry towel.