Turkish Bread with Anything Bagel Seeds

This is an adaption of a traditional bread used in the Middle East and Turkey as part of Ramadan festivities. “Real” Ramadan bread uses nigella and sesame seeds, but I have used “Anything Bagel” or flax and chia seeds seeds. I have also swapped in mostly Whole Wheat flour vs all-white.
** There are many recipes for Ramadan bread out there, but this is a simple version to make, without a lot of ingredients, or a lot of time.

You’ll Only Need:
• 4.5 tsp quick rise yeast
• Warm tap water
• 1.5 C White flour
• 4.5 C Whole wheat flour
• 1.5 tsp salt
• Anything Bagel Seeds or similar – ie: flax and chia seeds


Directions:

1.) Combine your yeast, 1.5 Cups warm water, and the white flour in a large bowl, or directly into your mixer bowl. Mix well.
2.) Cover with a clean dish towel, and let sit for 20 minutes.
3.) After sitting for the 20 minutes, uncover, and add 1.5 C warm tap water and mix well. Then:
– Add your whole wheat flour, 1.5 tsp salt, and mix well again.
4.) Cover, and let sit for 20 minutes again.
5.) Take dough out and work it on floured tabletop until well mixed. Divide it in two. (Or, you can also just make one large loaf, as I’ve done with the loaf above).
6.) Shape the dough into a “log” shape.
7.) Put dough onto a non-greased baking paper on a cookie sheet. ** You can also use two lightly greased loaf pans with your divided dough.
8.) Dust on seeds if you’re using them, lightly pressing them down down into the dough. Cover with a towel, and let sit for 35 minutes in a warm place.
9.) After the 35 minutes is up, (or the dough has risen past the top edge in the loaf pans), lightly brush tops with a mixture of milk, or milk and egg.
10.) Bake in hot 450F oven on center rack for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
11.) Remove from oven, take away the baking sheet and paper, or take them out of the loaf pans.
12.) Put them back into the oven right-side-up for 8 minutes to brown up the bottoms of the loaf.
13.) Remove from oven, cool and enjoy.