Lebanese Fried Zalabiyeh

This Lebanese deep fried treat is like a cross between ba’at & a doughnut. They’re commonly eaten for breakfast, but you can dust them with icing sugar for more of a dessert.

I’ve spent some time experimenting with the way these are rolled out. I found creating twists worked well & to me looks more presentable. You don’t have to do twists. You can make flat rectangular shapes with wholes like they do traditionally.

I know it’s not on the healthier side when it comes to suhoor options but these are just to die for! They’re best eaten fresh & going by the way my fam fight over them, trust me, they won’t even last the night.

Here’s how to make them:

Ingredients

300g bread flour

l00g whole meal plain flour

14g yeast

2 tsp aniseed powder

120g caster sugar

2 tbsp milk powder

1 cup water, lukewarm

Method

Combine the yeast and water & allow to activate.

In a stand mixer, combine the remaining ingredients & mix. Once yeast has activated, add to mixer & knead until ingredients are well incorporated. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover & allow to proof for at least two hours.

When dough is ready it would have at least doubled in size. Portion it into approximately 16 balls. If the dough is too sticky to handle oil your hands.

Take each ball & half it. Using hands roll out each half into a short rope. Roll one of the dough ropes in sesame seeds. Now bring the ends of each rope together & fold over one another to create a twist. Pinch the dough at the other end to keep it together. Place these on an oiled tray, cover and allow to rest for another 15 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat your frying oil to about 170°C. Fry the zalebye twist in small batches for about 3 min.