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Algerian Kaak is very popular from East to West of Algeria and in North Africa in general. Each city has its own recipe and flavor and this one is from my family.

I’m very honored to have my family recipe in the book of Joudie Kalla “Palestine on a Plate”!

Serves 12 crowns

Ingredients:

• 500g of plain flour/all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 135g of caster sugar
• 100ml of sunflower oil
• 20g of fresh yeast
• 5g of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon of anise seeds
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 100ml of warm milk
• Sesame seeds
• 1 egg yolk

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl add the flour, the crumbled yeast, the baking powder, the sugar, the lemon zest, the fennel seeds, the anise seeds and start to mix with your fingers all the ingredients together.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue to knead.
3. Pour the sunflower oil and continue to knead.
4. Pour slowly the milk and knead until you obtain a sticky dough.
5. Flour a clean surface and roll your dough into a long log.
6. Cut into long sticks of 15 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide then join the two ends to form a crown.
7. Flour a cookie pan and add your crowns on the top.
8. Leave to rise for 1 hour.
9. With a knife cut the edges of each crown be careful don’t cut the crown.
10. Brush the crowns with 1 egg yolk and sprinkle with a few sesame seeds.
11. Preheat the oven to 180 C degrees and bake for 30 minutes or when the crowns are golden brown (more or less depending of the oven).
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes (the smell is delicious).

I always enjoy my Kaak with a hot good café au lait.

The Kaak is traditionally served into ‘raffia baskets’!

Bonne Dégustation!

PS: You can also do the same procedure with your stand mixer!