This is a beautiful and festive bread shaped like a snowflake that I thought would be perfect for a gathering of friends during the winter season. It is known as star bread, but as my daughter said, “the star name sounds better for a tile, but it really actually looks like a snowflake.” Whatever you call it, we love it and how simply beautiful it is! This gorgeous bread can be seen everywhere online during the holidays and all over Instagram or Pinterest with all sorts of sweet fillings such as raspberry preserves, cinnamon and sugar, or yummy Nutella. I chose to make a savory version with a Middle Eastern spin by spreading the dough with a delicious spice and herb blend of zaa’tar. This zaa’tar star bread pairs perfectly with a colorful cheeseboard or a Mediterranean brunch spread.

What is Zaa’tar?

Zaa’tar (pronounced zah-tahr, with a guttural throat emphasis on the first aa sound and a roll of the ending sound rrrr) is a common Middle Eastern herb blend of savory thyme, oregano, toasted sesame seeds, and sumac. You can pick up zaa’tar spice mix from any Middle Eastern market, and it is even better if you can buy some freshly made. If you ever happen to visit a Middle Eastern country, be certain to pick up a fresh batch because the thyme that grows out there is very different from the one we grow here in the States. Zaa’tar spice mix should be green in color and while the flavor will vary based on the ratio of thyme, to sesame, to oregano, you can always adjust it to your liking with more sesame or sumac as I do. Zaa’tar is a truly amazing concoction of earthy flavors that you can sprinkle onto everything from breads, to roasted vegetables and salads, to poultry, meat, and fish. Food blogger Ali provides an easy recipe for this delicious savory spice mix for anyone to make their own zaa’tar on her website, Give Me Some Oven.

Making the bread

To make the dough of this bread, I used a seriously easy recipe by bake blogger, Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction. She kept posting about this bread and insisted the recipe is super easy, and even filmed a how-to video to show you just how easy it is. She was right. I never ever made bread in my life, aside from one demo class I watched two years ago at a book shop. So getting out all the ingredients (yikes, yeast?! That was a first for me) and tools in a minimalist kitchen like mine, I thought it would be useful for you all to show you how a non-baker like me can easily attempt such a friendly bread recipe. Sally suggested using Platinum All Star Yeast, so I did. It worked like magic. I also followed all of her tips. I also- added more tips from my perspective of zero bread making experience. Trust me, it is a great and easy recipe and her video is very helpful! See my own video below implementing it!

My overall impression of this bread, while it was easy to make and the perfect dough consistency for zaa’tar, is that it can afford to be a bit softer. It is deliciously luscious warm out of the oven, especially if you are careful not to over bake it. I loved the ease of this recipe and I feel like I can whip it up any time! This would be an ideal bread to fill with cheese and zaa’tar mixed!

My next step is to try a fluffy challah bread recipe for the star bread. I think the sweet and soft challah just might prove an even better combination. I will be trying Zoe Bakes challah recipe for star bread next. Stay tuned!

Feedback on baking bread from a newbie baker

So this recipe is simple. It entails mixing the flour and other other dough ingredients with the yeast mixture and letting it rise for an hour or so and then shaping the bread. The rise time is technically 60-90 minutes and I usually don’t have the time to stay at home or in the kitchen long enough to prep the dough, let it rise, and then shape it and bake it because I have so much going on. So I prepped the dough mix, let it rise, had 2 meetings and a conference call and then I had to take my kids to tae kwon do. So I had to put the risen dough in the fridge. Sally advises how to do this and to let the bread sit on the counter for 20 minutes after removing from the fridge. Although I tightly covered the dough in the fridge I have to report it was a bit hard. I could still work with it, but it seemed a little dry to me. Everyone thought it tasted great nonetheless.

But I wanted to know what it would be like if I let it rise in a warm oven and then shaped it right away without fridge time. Again, I had to head out for some errands, so it rose for 3 hours instead of 60-90 minutes. Hah, really do working adults or busy parents ever have the luxury to count on 4 uninterrupted hours? I struggle with that. But I am happy to report that I simply punched the dough down, and shaped it, and it was so luscious and soft. Baked beautifully, and tasted even better than the fridge version. Is this safe to do with dough that sat for 3 hours rather than 90 minutes? I think so. Mama says it’s fine.

So from my trials, I would advise:

1. If the dough is too sticky after mixing, add 1-2 tbsp of flour so that it is less sticky, but still soft (check my video).
2. Do not refrigerate the dough if you do not need to, the texture will be better this way.
3. For the zaa’tar mix, be sure to use my ratio of oil so that it is not too moist on the dough like it was in my first trial, making it difficult to shape. The zaa’tar mixed with oil should be a thick paste, not a liquid spread.
4. When shaping the dough into circles, roll it out into a ball, press down into a circle, and then roll it flat into a thin, large 8-9″ diameter. The first time I rolled out the circles they were too small and thick, and so was my end snowflake bread too small and thick. Think large thin circles here! Again, see the video.
5. Be sure to use an egg wash on the top of the shaped dough BEFORE baking as it truly lends a gorgeous glossy and golden crust. Trial 1, I forgot and brushed the egg wash on after 10 minutes of baking, and it didn’t make such a glossy, smooth crust as expected.
6. Check the bread after 20 minutes, depending on the oven it may be ready. The first trial, I over baked the bread to a more golden brown crust by 25 minutes. The second trial, I checked it at 20 minutes and it was perfect by 22 minutes.

Happy Baking!

Kabsa is one of my favorite dishes. This Middle Eastern rice dish is considered the national dish of Saudi cuisine and it has variations throughout the Arab countries. My version is a beautiful and bountiful plate of rice cooked in onions, carrots, tomatoes, and garlic, coated in all kinds sweet and earthy spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger speckled with juicy red cranberries and sweet raisins. The delicious flavors of kabsa rice cooked in these aromatic spices, root vegetables, and topped with crispy roasted chicken is the classic that I often make during this time of year. It is an easy dish to make in huge quantities, and everyone loves it. This plant based version replaces the chicken completely with a gorgeous roasted squash. The flavor and colorful presentation of the crispy roasted squash stuffed with kabsa rice is so stunning, nobody will notice the chicken is missing! Besides, to accommodate all, I still serve the kabsa marinated chicken on the side. I’ll be posting the classic chicken kabsa later this week as I am serving it for Thanksgiving. Stay tuned!

A word on ingredients

The spices I use in the recipe may possibly be found in any Middle Eastern markets as a single spice combination called “kabsa spices” although the combination and quality may vary. I like to combine my own individual high quality spices to control the flavors, and here I have nice balance of sweet and spicy with the cinnamon and ginger. Try combining the spices as I suggest in the recipe below and be sure to use the freshest you can get. Some people prefer to toss in whole cinnamon sticks, cloves, and cardamom pods, which is completely fine as well! Just be sure to remove them before serving so nobody has an unpleasant surprise as they eat. In my mom’s house, my brother was always the lucky one to crunch a cardamom pod in his mouth 😀

My initial vision to create this dish was with an acorn squash. Its gorgeous deep green hue splashed with some yellows and orange is a nice complement to the dish, and the squash is also tastier and creamier in texture than a pumpkin. When I had to make a large rice dish for a school potluck last week, I wanted to have my kabseh stuffed squash make its debut, and I only had orange sugar pumpkins. So an exploding pumpkin full of kabseh rice it was. It was gorgeous, tasty, and the students and parents loved it! I don’t think many children would have recognized an acorn squash anyway. Both pumpkin and acorn squash have beautiful ridges that you can slice down when serving. Use what you think you would enjoy! Be sure to choose a pretty shaped gourd with a flat bottom and a long stem if possible; for some reason none of the pumpkins in my grocery store had long stems. Meh.

I was inspired to cut the pumpkin with a star-shaped cap when I saw this gorgeous Armenian Ghapama on Dining in Diaspora. She clearly is more skilled at cutting lovely designs than I am- so be sure to take a look. I love the sweeter version of her classic recipe used by Armenian tradition here and it shows that you can really make this rice in your own way to suit your preferences.

Kabsa Rice Stuffed in Squash

A pumpkin stuffed with rice cooked in onions, carrots, tomatoes, and garlic, coated in all kinds sweet and earthy spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger speckled with juicy red cranberries and sweet raisins.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine egyptian, Middle Eastern

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 squash such as sugar pumpkin or acorn squash
• 4 tbsp safflower or olive oil
• 1 c carrots, chopped (about 2-3 large carrots)
• 1 c chopped onion (about 1/2 an onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp shallot, minced
• 1/2 c tomato, diced (about 1 tomato)
• 3 c long grain or basmati rice
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
• 1 c dried cranberries
• 1/2 c golden raisins
• 1/2 c pumpkin seeds or almonds(optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).
• Wash the rice in cold water and then let it soak for 20-30 minutes. This speeds up the cook time and reduces any excess starch that causes clumpy rice.
• Wash the squash well, and cut off the top where the stem is. Carefully hollow out the inside by removing the seeds and stringy pieces. Save the seeds to toast later. Rub the outside and top of the squash with 1 tbsp of oil and set it on a pan.
• In a heavy bottom pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil and sauté the onions and shallots until they begin to yellow. Add the carrots, followed by the garlic and tomatoes until softened.
• Drain the rice and add to the vegetables in the pot. Toss in the spices until it is well coated.
• Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low and cover. Check the rice in 5 minutes. The water should be absorbed from the top. Add the cranberries and raisins and stir gently. Scoop out enough rice from the pot to stuff the squash and cover with the top of the squash. Place into oven for 30-40 minutes, until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. If there is still water visible in the pot of rice, cover the pot and allow to cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the rice from the pot and plate it onto serving platter, leaving a space in the center for the squash.
• While the squash cooks in the oven, toast the pumpkin seeds or nuts in a small pan over medium high heat until they turn golden-brown. Set aside for garnish later.
• Once the squash is cooked through, remove from the oven and transfer onto the center of the rice platter. Sprinkle toasted nuts or pumpkin seeds all over the ricer.
• When ready to serve, slice the pumpkin or acorn squash following the vertical ridges to create a beautiful petal design. Plate a slice of squash and a serving of rice for each person.

Keyword cinnamon, kabsa, pumpkin, rice, squash

Rice is a basic. It is likely one of the first things you want to master once you find yourself in that situation where you are suddenly fending for yourself in the kitchen. You are n ow living on your own and need to eat, or perhaps you have a family you wish to cook for. An important companion to stir fry, tikka masala, Egyptian spinach, mulokhia, fasulya, and countless other stews, we all need some perfect rice to serve up. But all too often, I hear horror stories about cooking rice. Sure, I do have some of my own as well. You see, if you do not measure carefully, or if you miss a beat with the boiling process and heat reduction, it is very easy to have a sticky, smushy, or too crunchy disaster.

No, I do not have any special appliance just for rice, nor do you need special lids or pots (although a great pot will help). Rice is not too finicky if you measure correctly and watch what you do for about 5 minutes. I promise. Read on and try this. 

First of all this process pertains to long grain rice, basmati, or medium grain. Arborio rice, sushi rice, and especially brown rice have quite different measurement requirements and cook times. For brown rice- I defer to my Instant Pot. Perfectly fluffy brown rice in 20 minutes is nothing to contend with. 

So back to my rice recipe…

The secret my mother taught me is a basic mathematical ratio. Ready?

If Cups of rice=n and is greater than 1 cup; Cups of water (or liquid)= n+1.

Not into math? No problem. This means, when cooking more than 1 cup of rice this is the rule:

Whatever the number of cups of rice you use, use that exact amount of water, PLUS 1 CUP. It is that simple. The problem many run into, is doubling the water when doubling a recipe, which will lead to too much liquid and rice that is too sticky.  So here is a breakdown of measurements for you:

1 cup of rice cooks in 2 cups of water

2 cups of rice cook in 3 cups of water

3 cups of rice cook in 4 cups of water

4 cups of rice cook in 5 cups water

Get the idea?

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So the process is easy once you understand this measurement.

Rice should be rinsed and soaked in cold water for about 10 minutes. Once drained, you are ready to cook it.

Place a pot over a range that is the same size as the pot to ensure even heat distribution. Turn on to high heat, add olive oil (not extra virgin), and stir in the rice. Add salt and pepper to taste. If cooking with vermicelli noodles, as the classic Egyptian recipe calls, toast the noodles first, then add the rice. Toss the rice, and noodles if using them, in the oil until well coated, and then immediately add the water. 

Once you have added the water, WATCH THE POT. Do not walk away until you get the hang of it. Chop some veggies nearby, rinse some dishes, or wipe down your counter. But do not leave the vicinity. As soon as the water begins to boil, reduce heat to LOW. If you let the water boil for more than 1 minute, then you risk evaporating too much water (crunchy, undercooked rice), and then possibly having to add more water (smushy, overcooked rice). The other important rule is to have a lid on your pot as soon as you reduce the heat to low. This ensures that you are not losing the moisture too quickly.

Check on your rice after 5 minutes, you should see that the water level has reduced, usually below the rice by the time ten minutes pass (depending how much you are cooking of course). Do not lift the lid, or stir anything. You may see some little holes at the top of the rice, which is a result of the steam escaping. Once the rice looks like the liquid has all simmered away (ten-fifteen minutes), you can lift the lid and stir the top of the rice. It should be fluffy. If the rice is completely dry of any liquid on the bottom, then you are done. Turn off the heat and move the pot away. If there is a little bit of liquid, leave the lid off and allow the pot to remain on the very low or warm heat for another minute or two before removing from heat.

I like to transfer the rice into a serving dish before the rice sticks to the bottom of the hot pot which may happen if  your pots hold heat for a while. 

So the trick is really in your rice to water ratio, and covering that pot and reducing the heat at the right moment. Just watch your pot and do not walk away until the water boils. When it does boil, reduce to low. That is pretty much all there is to it!

Please share your results with me below; I cant wait to hear about your perfect bowl of rice! Do you have your own fool-proof methods? Please share your own trick to perfect rice below!