Lebanese Sesame Bread Rings (Ka'ak bi Simsim)
كعك بالسمسم Ka'ak bi SimsimSay it: kah-AK bee sim-SIM
Ka'ak bi simsim are the chewy sesame bread rings that perfume every Lebanese street corner, sold from carts and bakeries from morning until late. The dough is simple — flour, yeast, water, olive oil — but each ring is dipped in a thin flour paste and pressed into a thick coat of sesame seeds before baking. The result is a crisp, nutty crust over a soft, slightly dense crumb, with a faint sweetness that makes it as good plain as it is split and stuffed with za'atar, labneh or falafel.
Lebanese Sesame Bread Rings (Ka'ak bi Simsim)
كعك بالسمسم, Ka'ak bi Simsim
Pronounced kah-AK bee sim-SIM
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 43 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, sesame. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Coating
Method
Whisk the 4 cups (500 g) flour with the yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the warm water and olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8–10 minutes, until it is smooth, supple and springs back slowly when you press it with a finger.
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm spot for 1–1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size and the surface looks puffed.
Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant and pale gold, then spread on a plate to cool. Whisk the 3 tbsp (25 g) flour with the 6 tbsp (90 ml) water into a thin, smooth paste and pour it into a shallow dish.
Divide the risen dough into 8 equal pieces (about 3 1/3 oz / 95 g each). Roll each piece into a rope roughly 12 inches (30 cm) long and 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick.
Bring the ends of each rope together to form a ring and pinch the seam firmly closed. Dip the ring into the flour paste, let the excess drip off, then press it into the sesame seeds, turning so the whole surface is thickly coated.
Set the rings on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches (5 cm) apart, and let them rest for 20–30 minutes while the oven heats to 400°F (200°C).
Bake for 15–18 minutes, until deep golden and the sesame seeds are toasted and fragrant; the rings should sound hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.
Regional variants
Some bakers add a splash of milk or a spoon of yogurt for a softer crumb, and in Jerusalem the same dough is shaped into long oval ka'ak al-Quds with a wide hole. The name ka'ak also covers ka'ak bi ma'moul, semolina cookies stuffed with dates — a completely different sweet.
Cook's notes
- Dip each ring in the flour paste just before coating it in sesame — the paste is what makes the seeds cling instead of falling off.
- Pull the rings out as soon as they are deep golden; a minute too long turns them hard rather than chewy.
- If the dough springs back when you roll it, cover it and rest for 5 minutes, then continue rolling.
Serve with
Split and filled with za'atar and olive oil, labneh, white cheese, or falafel with pickles and tomatoes; strong tea or coffee alongside.
Make ahead and storage
Best the day they are baked; refresh in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes. Freeze baked rings for up to 1 month and reheat from frozen.
