Khaliat al nahl means beehive, and one look at the pan explains the name. Small balls of soft, enriched dough are each wrapped around a nugget of cheese and set side by side in a round tin, where they rise into one another and bake into a single golden disc of rounded cells. Black seeds and sesame go on top, and a honey syrup goes over everything the moment it leaves the oven, so each cell glistens like comb fresh from the hive.

It is loved right across the Arabian Peninsula, and in Saudi Arabia it carries the warm weight of childhood. Mothers and grandmothers have long baked it for the Ramadan table, where it arrives after the dates and the soup, and Saudi bakeries now sell it in every shade from classic to chocolate. The classic is still the one to make: a little salty cheese, a little sweet syrup, and a texture somewhere between a dinner roll and a cloud.

Nothing about it is difficult. The dough is a forgiving one, the shaping is calm work for the hands, and the only real test of character is leaving the pan alone for ten minutes once the syrup goes on.

The dough

Ingredients

• 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons (38 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil

Method

1. Put the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the large bowl and stir with a spoon so the yeast and salt are spread evenly through the flour.
2. Whisk the warm milk, egg and melted butter together in a jug, then pour them into the flour. Stir with the spoon until there is no dry flour left in the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be soft and sticky at this stage, which is exactly right.
3. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, either in the stand mixer on medium low speed or by hand on a lightly floured counter, pushing the dough away with the heel of your hand and folding it back. Add flour only a tablespoon at a time and only if it is still glued to your hands after 5 minutes. A soft dough gives soft buns.
4. Rub the oil around a clean bowl, put the dough in and turn it once so it is coated. Cover with the towel or plastic wrap and leave it somewhere warm for about 1 hour.

Filling and shaping

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200 g) full fat cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) soft butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk
• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

Method

1. Cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan. Butter the pan, press in the parchment and butter the parchment too.
2. Tip the risen dough onto the counter and press it gently to let out the large air bubbles. Divide it into 20 equal pieces, about 1 1/4 oz (32 g) each if you are weighing. Keep the pieces you are not working with under the towel so they do not dry out.
3. Flatten one piece into a disc about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide in the palm of your hand. Set a cube of cold cream cheese in the middle, bring the edges up and over it and pinch them firmly together at the top. Roll the ball gently on the counter, seam side down, under a cupped hand to make it neat and round. Repeat with the rest.
4. Arrange the balls seam side down in the pan, starting with a ring around the edge and working inward, leaving a small gap of about 1/4 inch (5 mm) between them. Cover loosely and leave for 30 minutes while you heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle.
5. Beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush it gently over the tops of the buns, taking care not to flatten them. Sprinkle the nigella seeds over half the pan and the sesame over the other half, or mix them and scatter them all over.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through if your oven browns unevenly. Make the syrup while they bake.

Honey syrup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water
• 1/4 cup (85 g) honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water

Method

1. Put the sugar and water in the small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the honey and lemon juice, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes without stirring.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the orange blossom water if you are using it. Let the syrup cool for about 10 minutes while the buns finish baking.
3. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, spoon about two thirds of the warm syrup slowly over the top, letting it run into the gaps between the cells. Leave the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and slide it onto a plate or board. Keep the rest of the syrup in a small jug for the table.

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