Noon Rogani

Warning: This bread is addictive. By making this bread, you run the serious risk of destroying your self control, expanding your waistline, and ruining your tastebuds for any other bread. This bread is absolutely amazing. It is kind of like a giant, unsliced, spiraled cinnamon roll, but oh so much more. This bread has the perfect blend of textures: flaky, chewy, and crunchy, and the butter and cinnamon-sugar inside is perfect. It does not overpower the flavor of the bread, and does not muddy the many layers of dough with sticky goo (not that I usually mind sticky goo).

This recipe may look daunting, but don't let that fool you. It is actually quite easy, and not too time consuming (besides the rise time). This bread actually comes from Azerbaijan, and is traditionally a breakfast bread. The bread is twisted and coiled to resemble a turban. Although my hungry puppies think it looks like a coiled snake. I have adapted this recipe from King Arthur Flour.

Noon Rogani

Dough:

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon instant yeast

Filling and Topping:

4 Tablespoons melted butter, divided

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste (I use a 1/2 cup or slightly more)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine all dough ingredients in the bucket of your bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer, and set to run a dough cycle. If you don't have a bread machine, you can combine the water, sugar, and yeast and let it stand for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast has dissolved. Then add the salt, oil, and flour, and mix the dough until it comes together, then knead the dough on the counter top until the dough is smooth and elastic, and slightly tacky to the touch. Let the dough rise in a covered container about 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy.

After the dough cycle is done (or the bread has risen 30 to 40 minutes) turn the dough out onto a large floured surface and roll it out into a 23 inch square (it will be very thin). In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Brush the dough with half of the melted butter, then evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough. Roll up the dough, jelly roll style, and pinch the seam to seal. Continue rolling the rope of dough until it is five feet long. There may be tears and holes in the outer layer of dough, but this is normal. Twist up the entire rope of dough similar to the way you would ring out a towel.

Grease a large baking sheet, or line with parchment paper. Coil the rope loosely (as not to impede the rise) into a round spiral, like a coiled snake. Brush with the remaining melted butter, then cover loosely and set aside to rise for 40 to 45 minutes, until puffy. While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the Noon Rogani for 30 to 45 minutes (mine takes just 30 minutes), or until deeply browned. Remove bread to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Makes one 10 to 12 inch spiral loaf.

Enjoy! -Cardamommy