Name: Armenian Sweet Bread (Nan-e gisu)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Makes 3 loaves
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds; 1½ cups/300 g sugar; 3 eggs; ¼ cup/60 ml warm water; 1 package or 1 tablespoon dry yeast; 1 cup/225 g unsalted butter, melted, or (240 ml) oil; 1 cup/240 g whole milk; 1 tablespoon honey; 4½–5½ cups/540 g–660 g unbleached (all-purpose) flour, sifted with 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 tablespoon hot water; 2 egg yolks

Preparation info

Makes
3
loaves

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
45 min

Appears in

Food of Life

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2011

About

This bread, associated with Easter and made by our neighborhood Armenian bakery during my childhood, was a special breakfast treat for us, when we’d eat it with homemade fig jam.

Ingredients

1 package or 1 tablespoon dry yeast
¼ cup/60

Method

In a mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup/60ml warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Add the eggs, sugar, honey, mahlab, milk, and butter, and mix for 1 minute.
Gradually add 4½ cups/500g of the flour mixture, 1 cup/100g at a time, and mix until you have a sticky dough (about 10 minutes).
Turn the sticky dough in a well-oiled bowl to ensu