Tahinov Hats (Armenian Tahini Bread)

A recipe for Tahinov Hats (Armenian Tahini Bread)! This thin, crisp bread is filled with layers of tahini and sugar, then baked until golden.

I first came across the inspiration for this Tahinov Hats (թահինով հաց, Tahinov Hatz) recipe over on Cocineira (no longer active).

This beautiful bread has a yeast-based dough that is covered with tahini and sugar, then rolled and coiled and rolled again to form a thin bread packed with flaky layers.

To finish, the Tahinov Hats is baked in a hot oven until crisp with little bits of caramelization from the tahini and thin, slightly soft layers on the inside. It is especially delicious while still warm alongside coffee or tea.

After moving to Los Angeles, we came across Tahini Bread during Lent at favorite Armenian bakeries such as Taron Bakery and Sasoun Bakery. In Lebanon, it became popular when it was brought by Armenians and also goes by the name, Sukkar bi Tahin.

Notable Ingredients

Tahini is a paste or spread created from ground sesame seeds. It is becoming more readily available in many larger American supermarkets. I haven’t personally tried it, but The Armenian Kitchen has a recipe for Homemade Tahini.

Stir the tahini well before using. It should be a smooth and easily spreadable. If too thick or grainy, it may tear the dough.

The exact amount of Tahini you need may vary based on how thin you are able to roll the dough. Try to get a very thin layer (especially if you are new to this technique), leaving the edges clear. If the tahini is too thick, it will ooze out the sides as you handle it.

Forming the Tahinov Hats

The shaping of Tahinov Hats is very similar to my recipes for Cong You Bing (Chinese Scallion Pancakes) and Katama (Kyrgyz Swirled Onion Flatbread).

After bringing together the dough, it is rolled into a thin sheet, covered with the tahini and (cinnamon) sugar, then rolled, coiled, and rolled again. There are a couple of different ways to get this result.

The traditional way (which was completely new to me when I first made this bread a few years ago and so fun to learn) is to roll the dough into a large, thin circle, cover with the filling, then cut a hole in the center. From that hole, gently and tightly roll the dough outwards to enclose the filling and create a circular rope.

I generally get a more even rope with this method, creating a flakier dough with the filling mostly intact. It may pull back and unravel at first, but keep at it. After a couple of rolls around the circle, it will start to become more manageable.

Otherwise, you can simply roll the dough into a thin rectangle, cover with the fillings, and roll up long side to long side.

If doing this, I personally like to roll up the short ends once or twice (not too much or you will get very thick, filling-less parts of the rope) to create a barrier and keep the tahini from seeping out.

Once you have the long rope regardless of how you got there, roll a couple of times to fully seal, then cut it into 4 to 6 equal pieces.

I personally cut each rope into 6 equal pieces to make 12 in all. If you cut each rope into 4 pieces to make 8 in all, the bread will be a little larger.

Pinch the ends of each to seal in the filling and gently roll and stretch each piece until it is a long, thinner rope. Coil up the rope, end to end, to form a snail shape, tucking the outer end under the pastry to keep it from unraveling.

After coiling, you can gently roll the bread into a very thin round to create a crisp, very slightly puffed flatbread. Another option is to gently roll the coil into a round about 1/3 inch (8 millimeters) thick. This will create a more bun-like shape with crisp edges and a more fluffy interior (photo below).

To finish, I lightly brushed the tops with additional olive oil and sprinkled some of the Tahinov Hats with sesame seeds. I have also seen some recipes use a wash of water whisked with a spoonful of tahini and sugar.

A Few More Tips

When adding the yeast to the water, make sure the water isn’t too hot or it will damage the yeast. The temperature should be about 105˚F (40˚C)- just warm enough to activate. Allow to rest at room temperature until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.

If the dough is too crumbly and just won’t come together after mixing everything together thoroughly, add some more water a splash at a time. Give it some time to blend fully with the flour before adding more.

In a warm kitchen, the first rise should take about 1-1 1/2 hours to double in size. During the winter with cooler temperatures, it sometimes takes closer to 2 hours.

Add the sugar (with or without cinnamon) in an even layer across the bread as desired. You may not need the full amount for a less sweet bread.

Roll the dough on a lightly greased or floured surface. Only grease the surface as needed. You still want enough traction to be able to roll the dough into a thin sheet and handle the ropes.

If you have a very small work space, you may need to cut the dough into 3 or 4 equal pieces to make it more manageable.

The cinnamon is optional in the sugar. I always personally add it since I love the blend of spice with the tahini.

With no eggs or milk, this tahini bread is naturally vegan if using a vegan-friendly sugar.

This recipe was originally posted in May 2015 and updated in February 2025.

Tahinov Hats (Armenian Tahini Bread) Recipe

Adapted from Cocineira and Taste of Beirut

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Tahinov Hats (Armenian Tahini Bread)

A recipe for Tahinov Hats (Armenian Tahini Bread)! This thin, crisp bread is filled with layers of tahini and sugar, then baked until golden.

Course Bread

Cuisine Armenian

Keyword Armenia, Armenian, bread, cinnamon, flatbread, sesame, sesame seed, tahini

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Rolls

Ingredients

Dough:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) lukewarm water 105-115˚F, 40-46˚C
• 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) olive oil plus more for brushing

Filling:

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) tahini sesame paste, you may not need it all
• 2/3 cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon optional
• sesame seeds for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water. Stir briefly to combine, then allow to sit at room temperature until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar.
• Mix in the frothy yeast water mixture and the olive oil to bring together a dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil and add the dough, turning to coat. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until doubled, 1-2 hours.

To assemble:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
• Place the sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the cinnamon, if using.
• Very lightly grease a large work surface with olive oil or lightly flour.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Cover one half with a towel.
• Roll the other half on the work surface into a large, thin circle.
• Cover the circle with a thin layer of tahini, leaving about 1/2-1 inch (1.25-2.5 centimeters) around the edge clear.
• Sprinkle with up to 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar, to desired sweetness.
• Make a cut in the center of the dough and tear lightly to create a hole. Gently, but tightly, roll and stretch the dough from the center hole towards the outside edges. (Optionally, you could simply roll the dough into a large, thin rectangle, spread with the tahini, add sugar, and roll long side to long side. If doing this, I like to slightly roll in the short sides once to form a barrier to keep the filling from seeping out).
• Cut through the circle to make a rope. Pinch the ends to seal and prevent the tahini from leaking out.
• Gently roll and stretch the dough to make the rope even and no more than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide, then cut the rope into 4-6 equal pieces.
• Pinch each of the ends to seal in the filling.
• Place one of the pieces on the work surface, covering the others with a towel.
• Gently roll the piece into a long, thin rope. Coil the rope, end to end, into a snail shape, tucking the outer end under the pastry to keep it from unraveling.
• Using a rolling pin, roll the coil into a thin circle about 4-6 inches (10-15 centimeters) wide, as thin as possible and up to 1/3 inch (8 millimeters) thick (depending on desired thickness of the bread).
• Place the bread on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a towel.
• Repeat with the remaining pieces, then the remaining dough half, placing the shaped bread at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) apart on the baking sheets. Allow to rest at room temperature until lightly puffed, about 20 minutes.

To bake:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• Brush the top of each bread lightly with olive oil. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 13-16 minutes.