Shared by Alon Hadar
Shared by Alon Hadar
Kadeh (Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Bread)
Yield: 20-22 stuffed breadsTime: 2 h inactive + 1 h and 30 min active
Kadeh (Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Bread)
Yield: 20-22 stuffed breadsTime: 2 h inactive + 1 h and 30 min activeFamily Journey
KurdistanJerusalem
New York City
This recipe was shared by Alon Hadar. Read more about his family in "‘Queen of the Table’: A Grandmother’s Kurdish Shavuot Tradition" and try his recipe for Zizik (Yogurt and Purslane Dip).
Ingredients
For the the dough
- 6 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons white bread flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 ¾ cups cold water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for greasing
For filling and assembly
- 1 ½ pounds fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 ounces string mozzarella, pulled apart into small pieces
- 4 ounces halloumi cheese, roughly chopped
- White bread flour, for rolling and dusting
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons nigella seeds
Preparation
Step 1
Add the flours, water, oil, sugar, salt, and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Knead the ingredients at low speed for 15 minutes until a smooth dough is formed.
Step 2
Transfer the dough into a large bowl greased with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size. Alternatively, let the dough rise in a refrigerator for 24 hours until doubled in size.
Step 3
While the dough rises, prepare the filling: place the spinach into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt. Massage the spinach with your hands for 1-2 minutes until the spinach wilts and releases liquid. Set the spinach aside for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid from the spinach. Add the feta, mozzarella, and halloumi cheese into the bowl with the spinach. Mix until the mixture is well combined, and set aside.
Step 4
Transfer the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and divide it into 20-22 equal pieces. Space out the pieces of dough on an oiled sheet tray 1 inch apart, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Place a pizza stone into the oven if you have one. Alternatively, cover the underside of a sheet pan with aluminum foil, and place the baking sheet into the oven upside down.
Step 6
Assemble the kadeh: lightly flour a large work surface, and roll out a piece of dough into a circle with a diameter of about 6-7 inches. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the spinach filling onto the one half of the dough, leaving a ½ inch border. Brush a bit of water along the edges of the dough. Fold the dough into a semicircle and close the seam of the semicircle, pressing down with your fingers. Seal the edges by creating a crimp-like design by pressing dimples into the edge of the semicircle with your index finger (photos below), and prick all over with a fork. Place the kadeh onto the preheated pizza stone or baking pan. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the bread is golden and baked through. Take the kadeh out of the oven, place onto a cooling rack, and immediately brush the top of the kadeh with olive oil and sprinkle nigella seeds on top. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Serve hot.
