Another Armenian specialty, this bread is made during Lent since it contains no animal products. You can get it from Armenian bakeries in Burj Hammoud, an area to the north of Beirut where a large population of Armenians reside, or from the famous Ichkhanian bakery, a must-visit in Zuqaq El Blat in Beirut and a very popular tourist spot. To my mind, these are better than cinnamon rolls. The mixture of tahini with the sugar and cinnamon creates a nice flaky pastry with sweet and savoury pockets of flavour. Delicious served with Ashta or vanilla ice-cream.

Makes 6

INGREDIENTS
For the bread
350g (2 3/4cups) strong (bread) flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
7g (2 teaspoons) instant dried yeast
200ml room-temperature water
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the topping
135g (1/2 cup) tahini
100 to 150g (1/2 – 3/4 cup) caster (superfine) or soft light brown sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon

METHOD
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Make a well in the middle and pour in the water and olive oil. Bring the flour mix in and work with a wooden spoon or your hand until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead until it starts to come together into a soft ball. Add more flour, if needed, but no more than a couple of tablespoons. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and set aside for 30 to 50 minutes until doubled in size (this will depend on the temperature of your kitchen).

Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto a lightly floured worksurface. Divide into 6 pieces and shape each piece into a ball by pinching the sides down and rolling the ball using the palm of one hand against the work surface. Cover again and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C.

Lightly flour each dough ball and roll into a rectangle (about 45 x 12 cm) with a long edge facing you. Brush a heaped tablespoon of tahini over each piece leaving a 5 mm border at the sides and the edge furthest away from you. Sprinkle each piece liberally with sugar and cinnamon and roll up from the edge closest to you into a long rope. Pinch the seams and roll each rope into a coil, tucking the ends underneath. Flatten with your palm or use a rolling pin to roll out each coil into a 14 cm round.

Place on a baking sheet and let prove for a further 20 minutes.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, either on their own, or with some Ashta or Ashta ice-cream for a sweet treat.

Bayrūt by Hisham Assaad, published by Smith Street Books, AUD$49.99.