Azerbaijan

The dish

Shorgoghal is a savory pastry from Azerbaijan, usually baked for Novruz, the spring new year. The bread is filled with fennel, cumin, and other spices.

What we thought

Delicious savory pastry. 4/5.

Ingredients and directions

Shorgoghal

Dough Ingredients

• 2¼ tsp active yeast (1 packet)
• 1 cup warm water (105–110°F)
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk, warmed
• Generous pinch of saffron threads, steeped in the warm milk
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1½ sticks butter, melted and cooled

Dough Instructions

1. Steep the saffron threads in the warm milk for 10 minutes until deep gold.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
3. Mix the saffron milk and the yeast mixture into the flour, salt, and butter. Knead until smooth and elastic.
4. Cover and rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Filling Ingredients

• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds (or anise seeds)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 stick butter, melted

For Assembly (Lamination Butter)

• 3 sticks butter, clarified for spreading

Filling Steps

1. Toast the fennel and cumin seeds for 60–90 seconds until fragrant, then grind into a rough powder.
2. Melt 1 stick of butter and stir in the turmeric, salt, pepper, and toasted ground spices.
3. Add enough flour until the paste turns cohesive and crumbly. (I added too much flour here and the spices didn’t melt into the bread.)
4. Keep the clarified butter to the side until ready to assemble.

Topping Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks + 1 tbsp water, for an egg wash
• Poppy seeds
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional)

Assembly and Bake

1. Divide the dough into 8–10 equal balls.
2. Roll each ball out as thin as possible, close to 1mm thick. You should be able to see through the layer. Each rolled-out ball should be roughly the same size and shape.
3. Take the largest ball as the base and spread butter over the rolled-out dough. You’re basically faking lamination in the dough.
4. Stack another rolled-out ball on top of the buttered one and coat it with butter. Repeat until all the balls are stacked, but don’t coat the top layer with butter.
5. Cut the stacked layers into strips about 1.5–2 cm wide.
6. Roll each strip into a tight spiral (like a cinnamon roll), tucking the end underneath, and move it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Pull the middle of the spiral open without tearing all the way through, so you have a small well. Add 1–2 tbsp of the spice filling into the well, then fold the dough over it and pinch closed. You’ll end up with a roll whose spiraled top hides the filling underneath.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
9. Flatten each roll gently and let the spirals rest 10–15 minutes.
10. Brush the spirals with egg wash and top with poppy seeds and salt.
11. Bake 40 minutes, until deep golden brown.
12. Finish with a light pinch of flaky sea salt right out of the oven.
13. Let cool slightly before eating.

These were excellent with a sweet jam. The jam contrast really emphasized the spice.

I screwed this recipe up a little in the picture and didn’t add enough butter nor spice to the bread. I’d definitely try these again and make it more like a cinnamon roll, with the spices spread over the dough before rolling it. This would be better because you’d get spice in every bite, and the spices would be distributed more evenly. I would definitely make again as they were a big hit.