Full step-by-step tutorial with photos included below! If there is one food that has me wishing I could immediately hop on a plane to Jerusalem, it’s gotta be a warm Jerusalem bagel! But since that is not a trip one can make on a whim, I reached for the next best thing, my friend Reem Kassis’ recipe for homemade Jerusalem bagels–from her cookbook The Palestinian Table (affiliate link). Since I tried Reem’s Musakhan (sumac chicken) earlier, I knew the bagels will be just as authentic and delicious! These bagels are easy to make and require a few familiar ingredients that you may already have on hand! Oh and a little bit of time. After all, this is bread and bread needs time to rise etc. But, they do bake pretty quickly (about 15 minutes or so).
What are Jerusalem bagels?
These iconic, fluffy sesame bagels called Ka’ak Al Quds are found all over the streets of Jerusalem–traditionally made in wood-fire ovens and sold on street carts. Reem writes, “The men push their ka’ak-laden wooden carts through the streets shouting ‘kaaaaa’aaaaak’ and everyone from schoolchildren to workers to store owners–even tourists–gathers around for these delicious and filling breads.” These do not have much in common with New York-style bagels which are round, doughy, and dense. Jerusalem bagels are thinner oval-shaped bagels that are soft, airy, and less doughy with a slight sweetness, thanks to the honeyed sesame topping.
How to make them: step-by-step
You’ll need a few simple ingredients to make this Jerusalem bagel recipe: flour, sugar, salt, milk, active dry yeast (fast-action), whole milk, baking powder, and extra virgin olive oil. For the topping, Reem uses a mixture of sesame seeds and grape molasses, which is not as readily available so I used honey instead. Here’s how it goes (the print-friendly recipe is just below):
Make the dough. Mix 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (bread flour works too), 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups milk (or unsweetened almond milk for a vegan option), 1 tablespoon active yeast (fast-action), and 1 teaspoon baking powder together. You can use a freestanding mixer fitted with the dough hook (run it on medium speed until the dough comes together in a soft and pliable ball) or knead by hand until the dough is smooth and pliable (it will take a bit longer this way, but will work). If you’re kneading by hand and feel that the dough is too stiff, add a tiny bit of milk and work through. You are looking for a soft, elastic but robust dough.Let it rise. Rub the dough with a little bit olive oil and place it in a large bowl. Cove with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm place for about 1 hour until the dough has doubled in size.
Make the sesame topping. Mix 1 cup of white sesame seeds with 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of warm water. You want the mixture to be sticky so it coats the bagels well, but you don’t want it to be too thick that it clumps up.
Divide the dough. Punch the dough down gently and divide it into 6 pieces as equal as possible in size.
Roll the pieces of dough into thin logs (about 8 to 12 inches long). The dough may want to spring back as you shape it, you’ll want to pull and gently stretch it out into logs.
Turn the logs into ovals. Simply attach the ends together to form a circle (it helps to wet your hands with a bit of warm water to press the ends together). Stretch the circle a bit to form an oval. Leave them on a lightly floured surface for about 15 minutes.
Dip them in the sesame mixture. Take each oval and dip it into the sesame mixture (pressing gently helps to stick the sesame onto the bagel. You want as much sesame seeds on the bagels as possible without clumping).
Arrange on baking sheet. Use a large baking sheet or two here. Leave the bagels to rise one last time for 10 minutes. Bake in 450 degrees F heated oven for about 15 minutes or so until they turn a beautiful golden brown. Ovens vary, so watch the bagels carefully (mine were ready in about 10 minutes).
My favorite way to eat Jerusalem bagel
There is no right or wrong way to enjoy these fluffy sesame bagels! They are great on their own, straight out of the oven. And in my opinion, they are the perfect vehicle to wipe up your favorite Mediterranean dip like hummus or creamy Labneh; or some peppery extra virgin olive oil with a sprinkle of za’atar (my favorite dipping situation).
The other day, I had a warm Jerusalem bagel next to leftover fried eggplant. So good!
Related recipes you may enjoy
Homemade Pita Bread
Challah Bread Recipe
How to Make Baklava
50+ Top Mediterranean diet recipes. For all recipes, visit us here. JOIN MY FREE E-MAIL LIST HERE.
