Kifli

Somewhere between a fancy hotel dinner roll and a croissant, kifli are a vital part of Balkan baking. The union of butter and sesame drifting out of the gaps in the oven gives me the same olfactory memory as my best friend's mum, Bhapinder, toasting her infamous chapatis, or the warmth coming from the tortilla factory near my house in Brooklyn. It's precious how these familiar smells can spark so much affection, no matter the cuisine.

Makes: 12 rolls

INGREDIENTS

• 700ml (3½fl oz) full-fat milk
• 7g (¼oz) packet fast action yeast
• ½ tsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 450g (1Ib) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 700ml (3½fl oz) full-fat plain yogurt
• 3 eggs plus 2 yolks
• 90g (3¼oz) butter at room temperature
• Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
• Sea salt, for sprinkling
  
  

METHOD

1. Gently heat the milk until it's lukewarm to touch - be careful to not overheat it or it will kill the yeast. Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm milk in a jug. Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 10-15 minutes or until frothy.

2. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and pour over the yeast mixture. Stir to incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry. Gradually add the yogurt, 1 of the whole eggs and 200ml (7fl oz) lukewarm water and bring the dough together with your hands.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured worksurface and knead for 70 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and a tea towel and place in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.

4. Turn the dough out onto the worksurface once more and knead for a further 70 minutes. Set aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350° F/Gas 4). Place a deep baking tray in the bottom of the oven and half fill with hot water; this will create steam and perfect the texture of the bread.

6. Divide the dough in 2 and roll each half into a circle measuring around 28cm (11in). Mix 40g (1½oz) of the butter with the remaining 2 whole eggs and brush this all over each dough circle.

7. Cut each circle into 6 even triangles and add a dollop of the remaining butter to the centre of each triangle.

8. Carefully roll each triangle from the outside of the circle towards the centre to make a shape similar to a croissant. Ensure they are as tightly rolled as possible - they tend to try to pop open when they bake, so use a little extra egg to seal if needed.

9. Transfer the kifli onto a well-oiled baking sheet and brush with the egg yolks, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and sea salt. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.