Kubaneh: Caramelized Spiral Bread

Step 1

Pour 2.5 cups flour into a large mixing bowl, then add 0.75 cup warm water and 0.5 teaspoon salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour visible, about 2 minutes.

Step 2

Knead the dough inside the bowl by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it back toward you, rotating the bowl a quarter turn, and repeating for 5 minutes until it feels smooth and slightly elastic.

Step 3

Cover the bowl with a clean damp kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough becomes easier to stretch.

Step 4

Brush a 9-inch round cake pan with 0.5 tablespoon of the melted butter, coating the bottom and sides evenly.

Step 5

Pour the rested dough onto a lightly oiled countertop and stretch it gently with your fingertips into a thin rectangle about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide, working from the center outward.

Step 6

Brush the entire surface of the dough rectangle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter using a pastry brush, leaving a 0.5-inch border on all edges dry.

Step 7

Sprinkle 0.33 cup brown sugar evenly across the buttered dough, using your fingers to distribute it so no patches are bare.

Step 8

Starting at the long edge closest to you, roll the dough tightly toward the far edge, like rolling a towel, pressing gently as you go so the spiral stays compact.

Step 9

Coil the rolled dough into a tight spiral, tucking the end underneath, and place it seam-side down in the buttered cake pan.

Step 10

Brush the top of the coiled dough with the remaining 2.5 tablespoons melted butter, making sure the entire surface glistens.

Step 11

Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature overnight (or at least 8 hours) so the dough rises slightly and the butter and sugar caramelize in the oven.

Step 12

Preheat the oven to 350°F and wait until the indicator light or beep signals the oven has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 13

Place the kubaneh pan into the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and the butter-sugar mixture is bubbling at the edges.

Step 14

Remove the pan from the oven using oven mitts and set it on a heatproof surface to cool for 3 minutes.

Step 15

Make two small wells in the top of the kubaneh by pushing your thumb gently into the dough, creating a space about the size of an egg yolk in the center and one at the edge.

Step 16

Crack one egg into each well, letting the yolk settle into the depression and allowing the white to spread slightly across the surface.

Step 17

Return the pan to the oven for 4–5 minutes until the egg whites turn opaque and set but the yolks remain runny, checking after 3 minutes.

Step 18

Remove the kubaneh from the oven and sprinkle 1 tablespoon za'atar or dukkah over the top if desired, then serve immediately while the bread is warm and the eggs are still soft.