Steeped in history, Jerusalem Bagels are actually quite easy to make using standard pantry staples. Delicious and comforting, bake up a batch and enjoy them with za’atar spice mix, homemade labneh, cream cheese, or with butter and jam.
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Jerusalem bagels, also known as Ka’ak Al Quds, Kaak Al Quds, Kaak Bread (anglicized Arabic name), Jerusalem Sesame Bread or Jerusalem Bread, are a type of bread product that has been enjoyed by Palestinians for centuries. It is one of the few quintessential Palestinian Recipes out there.
They have a rich cultural significance in the region, dating back centuries to when they were baked in a wood-fired oven and sold in the streets of the old city by bakers who would call out "ka'ak! ka'ak!" to attract customers. A fixture on the Palestinian table both at home and abroad.
Today, they are still a popular street food in the Levant and are often served for breakfast with a variety of sides. These ring-shaped breads are similar in appearance to a traditional bagel, but are made with a unique combination of ingredients that give them a distinct flavor and texture. They have a crisp crust and soft interior.
For me personally, this recipe brings me closer to my roots. There is another variation of this bread that looks like a small round handbag with a handle hole. Those tend to be more closely associated with Lebanon. The honey and sesame topping step in this recipe is inspired by Reem Kassis' recipe. I use honey instead of pomegranate molasses as it’s more widely available.
Why You Will Love Kaak Bread
What’s not to love? If you’re a home baker and have tried making other types of bagels including my Montreal Style Bagels or New York Style Bagels, then I would definitely recommend trying these:
- Fresh out of the oven, they are delicious and comforting
- They can be frozen to enjoy for months
Ingredients
What I love about this recipe is that you probably already have all these ingredients in your own kitchen pantry already! For quantities, refer to the recipe card below.
- All Purpose flour: Who doesn’t have AP Flour in their pantry? This recipe is written in an accessible way using ingredients that every baker has. However, if you want to change the flour, you can use bread flour instead. Replace up to 50% of the AP flour with whole wheat for a healthier spin.
- Yeast: This recipe will work with active dry yeast or instant yeast.
- Honey: You can use pomegranate molasses, grape molasses, agave syrup or other sweet syrup of your choice. Or you can simply omit and just wet the bagels before sprinkling over some sesame seeds.
- Toppings: Sesame seeds (untoasted, raw) are traditional, but if you want to try something different you can use poppy seeds or everything bagel mix. But in that case, I would suggest you try out my Montreal Bagel Recipe instead, which yields more regular bagels.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Jerusalem Bagel Recipe
I recommend that you read through all the steps first to avoid any confusion.
1. Mix. In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, or in a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine the flour, sugar, salt, milk, yeast, and baking powder (Image 1a). Mix on medium speed until you have a smooth pliable ball (Image 1b).
2. Rise. Rub a little olive oil over the top of the smooth dough ball, cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size (Image 2).
3. Topping. In a shallow baking dish or baking sheet, mix the sesame seeds, honey, and hot water until the seeds are damp and sticky, but not clumpy (Image 3).
4. Shape. After the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (Image 4a). Roll and stretch each piece into a log, then attach the ends together to form a ring. (Image 4b, Image 4c and Image 4d)
5. Dress. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each bagel into the sesame mixture, then place it on the prepared baking sheet (Image 5).
6. Bake. Bake the bagels in the preheated oven, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking, until they're deep golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes (Image 6).
Kaak al Quds Video Tutorial
How to Serve these Bagels
Jerusalem bread is typically enjoyed as part of a Middle Eastern breakfast spread alongside some dips (caramelized eggplant hummus or labneh balls) and za’atar spice mix. Eat them warm out of the oven or at room temperature. Dip them in Turkish Eggs or Bread Dipping Oil.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is to break off a piece, dip it in high-quality extra virgin olive oil and dip it in za’atar. This is a perfect bite and brings me back to my childhood every time. Wondering what to serve with hummus? This Jerusalem sesame bread is perfect.
Don’t forget Turkish coffee or mint tea! This recipe is featured in my What to Eat with Hummus (21 amazing ideas) post.
Expert Tips
- Don't skimp on the kneading. Bagel dough needs to be kneaded for several minutes to develop the gluten, which is what gives it its chewy texture. Make sure the dough is tight and smooth before you let it rise.
- A little rest. If your dough is a little firm and you're having trouble stretching it out, let is relax for 5 minutes before you resume the stretching. This break will help the gluten relax which should make rolling out the rough easier for you.
- Use untoasted sesame seeds. This is key. If you use toasted sesame seeds, they will toast even further in the oven and you might end up with a burnt taste.
- Make sure your oven is preheated. This is important. If you place the bagels into the oven too early, you won’t get a good initial rise in the oven. Preheat your oven until it reaches temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Jerusalem bagels (Ka'ak Al Quds) are a type of bread product that has been enjoyed by Palestinians for centuries. Baked in woodfired ovens and sold in carts all over the old city, they are larger and more oval shaped than more traditional bagels.
Leftover bagels can be frozen whole (or sliced) for up to 6 months and reheated when needed in a toaster oven. These bagels don’t stay soft and chewy for long, maybe 1-2 days tops the they will begin to firm up. Place them in a ziplock bag for optimal freshness. For fresh eating, I suggest you make a regular or half batch. For long-term storage, you can double the recipe and freeze the baked bagels.
As with any baking recipe, fresh out of the oven is always best. However, to save time, you can mix the dough in the stand mixer until you reach a smooth ball. Rather than letting the dough rise on the counter, you can let it rise in the fridge overnight, saving you some time when you’re ready to form and bake.
If you make these Jerusalem Bagels, or any of my other baking recipes, please take a moment to rate the recipe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe.
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Recipe Card
Easy Jerusalem Bagels (Kaak Al Quds Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 cups All Purpose Flour - 500 grams
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Instant Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 ½ cups Milk (slightly warm)
- Olive Oil for brushing
Topping
- ½ cup Sesame seeds - Use untoasted if possible
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 1 tablespoon Hot water
Instructions
- Mix. In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, or in a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine 4 cups All Purpose Flour, 2 tablespoon Sugar, 2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 tablespoon Instant Yeast , 1 teaspoon Baking powder, and 1 ½ cups Milk (slightly warm). Mix on medium speed for about 5-6 minutes until you have a smooth pliable ball.
- Rise. Rub a little olive oil over the top of the smooth dough ball, cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour (2 hours if your kitchen is cold).
- Topping. In a shallow baking dish or baking sheet, mix ½ cup Sesame seeds, 2 tablespoon Honey, and 1 tablespoon Hot water until the seeds are damp and sticky, but not clumpy.
- Shape. After the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll and stretch each piece into a 12" (30cm) log. If the dough is too stiff, you will need to let it relax for 5 minutes while you stretch. This will help relax the gluten. Attach the ends together to form a ring.
- Dress. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the top and bottom of each bagel into the sesame mixture, making sure to press down gently so that the sesame seeds adhere, then place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the bagels in the preheated oven, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking, until they're deep golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the bagels from the oven and let them cool for a bit before enjoying.
Video
Notes
-
- All Purpose flour: Who doesn’t have AP Flour in their pantry? This recipe is written in an accessible way using ingredients that every baker has. However, if you want to change the flour, you can use bread flour instead. Replace up to 50% of the AP flour with whole wheat for a healthier spin.
-
- Yeast: This recipe will work with active dry yeast or instant yeast.
-
- Honey: You can use pomegranate molasses, grape molasses, agave syrup or other sweet syrup of your choice. Or you can simply omit and just wet the bagels before sprinkling over some sesame seeds.
-
- Toppings: Sesame seeds are traditional, but if you want to try something different you can use poppy seeds or everything bagel mix. But in that case, I would suggest you try out my Montreal Bagel Recipe instead, which yields more regular bagels.
Gazawiyaa says
These turned out so good! I used pomegranate molasses instead of honey and let them rest a few minutes prior to putting them in the oven to let them proof further. Saving this recipe!
Luay Ghafari says
Wonderful! Glad you liked it.
Gillian says
I made mine a little differently - I left the dough covered in the fridge for 3 days (because I was feeling lazy!) before baking the bagels today. We haven’t tried them yet but they look beautiful! A little puffier than your bagels, maybe bc the dough was napping for so long 😂 Also they took slightly longer to brown, like about 22 mins total, but that might be due to our cool oven. Thanks for the great recipe!
Dan M. Appel says
About 25 years ago I was in Jerusalem for a study tour for about 10 days. While there we had "Jerusalem Bagels" almost every evening at supper. I fell in love and started looking for a recipe - to no avail. I scoured the internet and bought Middle Eastern cookbooks like I was looking for the "Holy Grail." Every time I described them to my Middle Eastern friends as shaped like small "horse collars, they looked at me in bewilderment and said they had no idea what I was talking about.
I never gave up, but had about decided that I was only imagining their existence. Then seridipitously I came across your site looking for a good Tabbouli recipe. I was browsing through the baking recipes when what to my wondering eyes would appear, but the recipe!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Now if can just find a great Falafel recipe like's sold on the street in Jerusalem, I will die happy🙂
Daniela says
Delicious and super easy to make!
Luay Ghafari says
Thank you so much!