Jachnun

About This Recipe

Jachnun is one of Israel's most extraordinary breakfast dishes — a Yemenite Jewish tradition brought to Israel in the 1950s. Layered dough smeared with clarified butter or margarine is rolled tightly and slow-baked overnight in a sealed pot, emerging in the morning deeply caramelised, tender and intensely flavoured. It is served with grated raw tomato, a hard-boiled egg cooked alongside it, and zhug (Yemenite hot sauce).

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gplain flour
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbsphoney
• 250 mlwarm water
• 150 gbutter or margarine(softened, for spreading)
• 6eggs(in shell, to cook alongside)
• 4 mediumtomatoes(grated, to serve)
• 1 clovegarlic(minced, for tomato)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make dough

   Mix flour, baking powder, salt and honey. Add warm water gradually to form a soft, pliable dough. Knead 5 minutes. Rest covered 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Portion and flatten

   Divide dough into 6 balls. Stretch each ball on an oiled surface as thin as possible without tearing.

3. 3

   Butter and roll

   Spread each sheet generously with soft butter or margarine. Fold in the sides and roll tightly into a log.

4. 4

   Pack and slow-bake

   Arrange rolls tightly in a greased oven-safe pot with a tight lid. Nestle uncracked eggs between them. Seal with foil under the lid. Bake at 100°C overnight (8–10 hours).

5. 5

   Serve

   In the morning, remove jachnun — they will be golden-brown and caramelised. Serve with grated raw tomato seasoned with garlic and salt, and the slow-cooked eggs.

Variations

• •

  Add a smear of date honey (silan) to the dough before rolling for a sweeter version.

• •

  Bake in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours as a practical alternative.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Jachnun keeps refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat in a warm oven at 150°C for 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions