Za’atar Crescents

Za’atar Crescents

As a kid, I loved making those Crescent Rolls that came in a tube. That’s what I was thinking of as I made little triangles of my own dough, put a little Za’atar mixed with Olive Oil on each and rolled them up and baked them. They are little rolls full of flavor! I keep some in the freezer and reheat them when someone drops by for dinner. They look elegant, taste great, and are really easy! Perfect for any holiday dinner!

 

Za’atar Crescents Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 cups, plus 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour (I prefer unbleached)
  • 1 ½ tsp dry yeast
  • 2 cups warm water
  • ½ cup Olive Oil1 tbs salt
  • 1 cup of Za’atar Blend
  • ½ cup of good Olive Oil

Instructions

  • Dissolve Yeast in 2 cups of warm water mixed with 1 tbsp of Flour and set aside
  • In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (if you don’t have a stand mixer, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon), put the flour, salt, and first ½ cup of Olive Oil
  • One there are bubbles in the container holding the yeast mixture, add it to the flour mixture and mix on lowest speed until everything is combined. Dough should look raggedy.
  • Turn ragged dough out on counter and knead until smooth (5-10 minutes)
  • Put dough in large oiled bowl (rub a few drops of oil on the walls of the bowl – the bowl needs to be big enough to allow the dough to rise to double its size) and cover with a tea towel.
  • Place bowl with dough somewhere warm, near a heater or on a warm (but not hot) windowsill and let rise to double its size.
  • While dough is rising, mix Za’atar with remaining ½ cup of Oil. Mixture will be dry.
  • Punch down dough, turn out, and shape into a rectangle that is ¼” thick.
  • Using a pizza cutter (or a knife) cut rectangle into 3” x 3” squares and squares into triangles.
  • Spread ½ tsp of Za’atar and Oil mixture on a triangle, roll into crescent shape and place on cookie sheet, creating a little curved crescent. Make sure the point of the triangle is on the bottom, or it will pop up while baking and you will lose the crescent shape.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes until just lightly brown on top.
  • Serve warm or room temperature. These will keep for several days in an airtight container.

Notes

While I love to bake and am known for my pizza with its homemade crust, a little-known secret is that pre-mixed, pre-kneaded pizza dough is available in most supermarkets. In a pinch, I’ve been known to use Trader Joe’s. It’s a great shortcut for these little crescents.
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