Traditional Jordanian Bread (Qras)

This is a traditional Jordanian bread that we usually make Easter time.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups all purpose flour.
• 4 cups wheat flour.
• 3 tsp salt.
• 1 tbsp ground anise seed.
• 1 tbsp ground fennel seed.
• 1 tsp ground mahleb.
• 1/2 cup sesame seed.
• 1/2 cup black onion seed( Nigella seed ).
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil.
  
• 2 tsp dried yeast.
• 1 tsp sugar.
  
• 1 cup warm milk.
• 2 cups warm water.
  

Place yeast in a cup with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Add 1/3 of a cup of warm water and set aside for about 10 minutes or until starts bubbling.
Meanwhile, in a very large bowl combine flour, wheat flour, salt, ground anise seed, ground fennel seed, ground mehleb , sesame seed and black onion seed. Add oil and rub it into flour mixture with your finger tips until well distributed. Make a well in center of the flour mixture and add yeast mixture and warm milk. Mix well then add warm water slowly and knead as you are adding water until dough comes together. If you feel like you added too much water , just add more flour.
Keep kneading dough for about 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Leave dough in the same bowl and Cover with a kitchen towel and leave it until rises and doubles in size, about 2-3 hours.
Knead dough and divide into 20 equal pieces and form each one into a ball. Let rest for another 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball out into a circle, about 6 inches in diameter.
Preheat convention oven to 410 F. Place dough circles on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Cover rest of dough circles with a kitchen towel until it is time to bake them.
Transfer bread to cooling rack and let cool completely before storing in plastic bags.


Note: Mehleb is a spice made from the pit of sour cherries. It's a traditional spice that you can find at middle eastern stores.

* You can freeze bread in plastic bags and just heat for 30 seconds in microwave when needed.