Every couple weeks or so, we send out a little roundup of new recipes, techniques, and tutorials that we’ve recently posted on the site. Occasionally we announce exclusive giveaways to newsletter subscribers as well. We won’t spam you with ads or share or sell your email address. Every email we send has a 1-click unsubscribe link if you decide it’s not for you.
Lebanese Purse Bread (Kaak Alasreya)
Kaak alasreya, also known as kaakit al asroniyeh (also spelled kaaket el asrounieh), is a Lebanese bread that is shaped like a purse and coated in sesame seeds. These names refer to the bread being a popular afternoon snack. Purse bread is super versatile and can be stuffed with savory or sweet fillings (as you can see in this video). Possibilities include za’atar (the blend of herbs, toasted sesame seeds, and salt in the photo above), olive oil, sumac, cheese (e.g. Laughing Cow spreadable cheese), labneh, hard boiled egg, falafel, knafeh, nutella, honey-and-cinnamon, and more. These breads are sold in bakeries and also on the street, and the ring shape allows them to be secured with string or held on wood rods. The handle and the round cut-out are also a bit crunchier than the pouch, so this bread offers a couple of textures to enjoy. Purse bread is also popular in Jordan, and enjoyed in other shapes in Syria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel and Palestine.
[Jump to recipe]
In reading about kaak, I learned that it was traditionally leavened with fermented chickpeas. The leaven is actually similar to that in salt rising bread from the Appalachian region of the U.S., with its hot temperature process. I made salt rising bread here if you want to check it out. However, the kaak recipe I created below doesn’t use the traditional fizzy chickpea water nor the now-ubiquitous commercial yeast. Instead this recipe uses sourdough starter and gives you the option to use chickpea flour in the starter build for a hint of delicious chickpea flavor and golden color. Note that this feeding simply involves the starch in the chickpeas multiplying your sourdough starter’s existing yeast and bacteria.
I researched numerous kaak alasreya recipes and they varied in whether and how much sugar, oil, milk/milk powder, and baking soda was included in the dough. I went with a middling amount of sugar and olive oil, skipped the baking soda, and tried milk powder for the first time. I really enjoyed the crumb tenderness and richness that the milk powder added to the bread. These ingredients can be excluded and modified as you prefer. Simply adjust the hydration until you have a supple, hand-kneadable dough.
Before coating with sesame seeds, some recipes dipped the dough in honey-water, some in just water, others brushed the dough with egg white or a glaze of flour-water-oil. My favorite approach was the honey-water dip followed by coating both sides of the dough in sesame seeds and using that coating as a non-stick surface for rolling the dough out. This helps embed the seeds into the dough so they don’t fall off later and keeps you from having to add flour to the dough. The hint of sweetness it added to the kaak was also quite lovely.
Here is a short video showing the steps of dipping, coating, and rolling out. Also check out the Photo Gallery after the recipe to see more of the recipe steps.
Many thanks to @hungapen and @artisan_bake_love on Instagram for explaining the names of this bread and the different ways it is served.
Lebanese Purse Bread (Kaak Alasreya)
This Lebanese bread is absolutely delicious with its crispy sesame-seed coating and tender texture. Often enjoyed as an afternoon snack, the pocket can be stuffed with sweet or savory fillings, everything from from za'atar and cheese to nutella.
Ingredients
Overnight Starter Build
Dough
Topping
Instructions
Photo Gallery
Shopping List
Sourdough Starter (Dry)
Mockmill 100 Grain Mill
Danish Dough Whisk — Large
All Purpose Flour
Parchment Paper Sheets — 200 Sheets
$19.00JK Adams Wooden Patisserie Rolling Pin
$42.00FibraMent Oven Baking Stones
Breadtopia’s Choice Kitchen Scale
$18.00Dough and Storage Bucket w/Lid – 2 qt. Square
Expandable Cooling Rack
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls — Set of 3
$39.99Lebanese Purse Bread (Kaak Alasreya)