Kafes Peksemet (Cypriot Gate-Shaped Breadsticks)
A recipe for Kafes Peksemet (Cypriot Gate-Shaped Breadsticks) from the cookbook, Meliz's Kitchen! This homemade bread is arranged in a gate shape and covered in a combination of sesame, nigella, and aniseed.
Servings 4 Breadsticks
Ingredients
Bread:
- 1 1/4 cups (300 milliliters) lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 ounce (7 grams) active-dry yeast
- 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
For Brushing:
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 teaspoon milk
For Coating:
- 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon aniseed
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into a jug and dissolve the sugar in the liquid.
- Add the yeast, give it a gently stir, and set aside for 5-10 minutes until it is activated. It will rise and look frothy when it is ready.
- Meanwhile, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Make a well in the center.
- Once the yeast has activated, gradually pour the mixture into the well and start to bring the wet and dry ingredients together using clean hands.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and start to knead the dough. You shouldn't need any more flour at this point. Keep kneading by hand for 10-12 minutes until a nice smooth dough is formed, tucking the sides under as you finish. Alternatively, place everything into a stand mixer and knead with a dough hook attachment for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle a little flour over the bottom and sides of the bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then a clean tea towel, and leave it somewhere warm and cozy to rise for an hour until it doubles in size.
- To prepare the coating, mix all the seeds together on a large tray.
- Mix the flour, water, and milk to a smooth paste in a small bowl and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and gently punch it down for a few seconds.
- On a clean work surface, roll the slightly flattened dough into a long chunky sausage and divide it into eight equal pieces (each weighing roughly 3 1/2 ounces, 100 grams).
- Take one piece and roll it out using your hands until you have a very long piece of dough, roughly 3 feet (1 meter) in length and 1/4 inch (5 millimeters) thick.
- Brush the reserved flour paste over the dough and transfer to the tray of seeds to coat all over.
- Place the dough on one of the baking sheets and form it into a large rectangular frame.
- Roll out a second piece of dough to the same length as the first and then cut the piece into four lengths to make the two short pieces that will go horizontally across the shortest edge of the rectangle, and two slightly longer pieces that will run across the longest edges of the rectangle to create a gate-like grid.
- Brush each of the four pieces of dough with the paste, coat them in the seeds, then lay the two short pieces at equal distances across the rectangular frame widthways, and the two long pieces across the frame lengthways to form a grid or "gate."
- Set aside and repeat the process with the next two pieces of dough on the second baking sheet.
- Place the two baking sheets in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Make two more Peksemet "gates" with the four remaining pieces of dough, constructing them on the lined baking sheets, then putting them in the oven to cook for 40-45 minutes, while the first batch of the cooked peksemet cool down.
- After 40-45 minutes, remove them from the oven, and transfer to the wire rack to cool.
- Return the now cooled first batch of peksemet to the baking sheets and put them back in the oven for another 25-30 minutes to get really crunchy.
- After 25-30 minutes, remove them from the oven and transfer to the wire rack to cool fully.
- Return the now cooled second batch of peksemet to the baking sheets and put them back in the oven for another 25-30 minutes.
- After this time, remove the second batch from the oven and transfer to the wire rack to cool fully.
- Serve with hot Kokulu Çay (Spiced Cypriot Tea), hellim (halloumi cheese), olives, tomatoes, and cucumber.