How to Make Soft Samoon Bread

Ingredients

• Three quarters cup lukewarm milk (175 g)
• 3 teaspoons yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar (70 g)
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (125 g)
• 4 cups flour (600 g)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon seven-spice blend
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dried fruit, chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• You can replace the dried fruit (and the raisins) with chocolate chips
• You can replace the seven-spice blend with ground cardamom
• You can replace the cloves with ground fennel
• Syrup ingredients
• 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
• 1½ tablespoons (22 g) water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Ingredients for flour markings on the samoon
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup water
• Ingredients for icing markings
• 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• How to make soft samoon bread from our friend and cook on Sho Tabkhin Al-Yawm:
• Umm Taha Al-Hamawi
• Click on Umm Taha's name to visit her page on our site and enjoy her recipes
• For more desserts from Umm Taha, here is the link: Maamoul tart
• To get Umm Taha's method for making chocolate cookies click this link:
• Easy chocolate cookies

Method

1. In a bowl, combine the milk, yeast, sugar, eggs, oil, lemon zest, flour, salt, and all the spices.
2. Knead well until you have a soft dough, then add the raisins and dried fruit and knead until evenly combined. Transfer to another bowl greased with oil.
3. Cover the dough and let it rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
   Timers: 120 min
4. Deflate the dough after it has risen, divide it into 12 portions, and shape them into balls. Place them on a lined baking tray, making sure they do not stick together.
5. Cover the samoon balls and let them rise a second time for about 45 minutes.
   Timers: 45 min
6. In a small bowl, mix the flour and water until combined, then transfer to a piping bag and pipe a + shape over the samoon.
7. Syrup method
8. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and vanilla over heat, then let it boil for about 2 minutes over low heat.
   Timers: 2 min
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for about 25 minutes, then brush the tops of the samoon with the hot, thick syrup, or with warm honey diluted with a little water.
   Timers: 25 min
10. Let cool at room temperature.
11. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and milk well, then transfer to a piping bag, snip off the tip, and pipe a line lengthwise and crosswise over the samoon. Let the flour lines dry.