Hanounas

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Greetings all my friends out in the Blogosphere! 

With Eid, soon approaching I thought I post a little something about tradition. It is traditional in my husband's family to prepare for  each child in the family a little special treat filled with love. They are called Hanounas. The bird, which is made of brioche is shaped like a bird,  carrying protecting her young an egg on its back. I prepare these for my children each year. And this year is no exception. Here is just a quick picture of the ones, I made last year. But I plan to update this post with this year's Hanounas as well!

I use a basic brioche dough, which I use also to make Chrik.




Hanounas - little birds of tenderness

• 4 1 / 2 cups white flour (or 3 1 / 2 cups white flour 1 cup fine semolina)
• About 1 cup milk
• 1 / 2 cup - 110g soft butter
• 1 / 2 cup sugar or 1 / 4 cup sugar dates
• Handful of nigella seeds and aniseed sweet (not anise)
• Vanilla
• Zest of one orange
• 1 TBS orange flower water (maz'har)
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 4 1 / 2 tsp - 22g dry yeast or fresh yeast cake

Decor:
- Glaze with egg (egg dash very little water) 
- An egg cake (you can color if you wish) 
- Cloves




1. Start by mixing the yeast in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of warm milk and let stand until it rises and bubbles - about 10m (if you use instant dry yeast, skip this step and mix the dough with the flour directly) - I use dry yeast so I skipped this step!


2. In a bowl, combine the flour, zest, water, sugar, orange flower, salt, softened butter and remaining milk.


3. Mix well together.


4. Then, one by one, add the eggs.


5. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth, no lumps of butter at all!


6. Cover and let stand in a warm place for one hour, until doubled in volume.


7. Knead the dough very well!


8. Divide the dough into 6 large orange sized balls. Then shape them into birds by forming the balls into oval shape. Then pinch one side to form a head. .


9. Place one egg in the center of the bird. 


10. Roll out some dough to form a rope. Then cut the rope into 4 parts ( 2 larger and 2 smaller) Now wrap one rope around the bird in a X shape - starting around the neck. Now place the other large rope around the back. Now with the smaller ropes form the X to cover the egg. 


Cut a slit in the front of the bird to form a small beak. Now decorate the bird with the cloves. Some for the eggs. And some to decorate the the dough covering the egg. 

11. Preheat oven to 250 ° C/400 ° F. Place bird on a greased or paper lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Cover and let rise until your oven is hot.


 12. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 180 ° F C / 350 ° and cook for approx. Check regularly




Tip:


The key step in making the cake is the butter mixture into the well. It is extremely important to ensure a smooth dough, instead of the dough pockets filled with lumps of butter.


If you prepare the dough by hand, you may need a wooden spoon and a lot of strength to knead the dough well.


I do not have all these things, but using a bread machine or stand mixer makes this bread would probably go much faster.


As the bread rises once in the oven, the kernels are sifting or out, so keep an eye on them. You can rehabilitate them.


It is important that the butter that you work with it sweet! Please do not try to incorporate the butter from the fridge, you've lost your dough! Also sorry to say, quick thawed butter in the microwave does not work in this cake either. Please be patient and take your time by eliminating hours of butter just before preparing the dough or, better yet, the night before!




Here is the recipe for Chrik Constaintois - the dough that this brioche is based on! (((Click here)))