Homemade Yemenite Jachnun

Tap an ingredient or step to check it off.

1. 1Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature water (695g), silan or honey (35g), and granulated sugar (50g). Whisk to dissolve the silan into the water.
2. 2Step 2: Attach the dough hook, and add the flour (1000g), baking powder (2g), and kosher salt (20g) to the bowl. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes. The dough should be fairly sticky and tacky, but should pull away from the sides of the bowl and come together in a dough ball, 3-4 minutes.
3. 3Step 3: Pull out the dough hook, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest at room temperature for five minutes.
4. 4Step 4: With damp hands, reach down the sides of the bowl and gently lift the dough up from the center to stretch it. Let it fall back down, wet hands again, and stretch and fold the sides of the dough up and over to build up gluten strength. Work your way around the dough, giving the bowl a quarter turn each time you stretch and fold the dough over on itself. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour.
5. 5Step 5: Divide the dough into about 12 small pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball. Let the dough balls rest on the counter, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.
6. 6Step 6: Brush the work surface generously with avocado oil. Work with one dough ball at a time, and begin to stretch the dough in a large thin circle. Work slowly and gently to stretch the dough so thin it should basically be see-through. Use your hands to smear about a tablespoon of softened butter over the whole circle of dough. Gently lift the left side of the dough and fold it into the center. Rub on more butter, then bring the right side into the center, overlapping, and smear on more butter. Start with the short end closest to you, and roll up the dough into a log. Pull the dough gently as you roll to create tension and to make the layers even thinner.
7. 7Step 7: Layer the jachnun rolls into the special round jachnun pan; there should be 2 layers of jachnun in one pan.
8. 8Step 8: Optional: Add a round piece of parchment paper on top of the dough, and place 4-5 raw eggs on top. They will slowly hard boil in the oven overnight and become 'Haminados' - very toasty, nutty, and delicious hardboiled eggs. Place the lid on top of the pan, or cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 10-12 hours at 225°F.
9. 9Step 9: Enjoy while hot from the oven. Serve with grated fresh tomato and spicy Yemenite schug (a spiced green chili condiment). Do not use a knife and fork! Jachnun is meant to be peeled apart with your fingers, layer by layer, then scoop up the grated tomato.