Qaghaq tal-Appostli

Ingredients

The dough

• 700 gstrong white flour
• 400 mlwarm water
• 10 gdried yeast
• 12 gsalt
• 3 tablespoonsolive oil
• 1 tablespoonsugar

Sometimes added

• 2 teaspoonsaniseed
• lightly crushed
• grated zest of 1 orange

The topping

• 150 gwhole almonds
• blanched or skin on
• 4 tablespoonssesame seeds
• 1egg, beaten
• or water, to brush

To bake

• a hot oven
• a tray of water, for steam
• lined trays

Directions

1. Press them in firmly and properly. It gives a warm liquorice note. Warm the water gently in a jug. Stir the yeast and sugar into it. Let it stand there for ten minutes. The yeast should foam up visibly. Discard it and start again if not. Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the salt to one side of it.
2. Salt kills yeast on direct contact. Keep them apart until the water goes in. Combining it is straightforward enough. Add the yeast water and the olive oil. Add the aniseed and zest if using. Bring it together into a dough.
3. Knead it for about ten minutes. Ten minutes by hand is what it takes. Put the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover it and leave it somewhere warm. Give it about ninety full minutes. Divide the risen dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope. Bring the two ends round together.
4. Press them firmly to join them. The join must be firmly pressed. Press them firmly together properly. Make the hole generously large. Start it larger than you want it. Set both rings on lined trays.
5. Cover them and leave them to rise. Give them about forty-five minutes. Brush the rings with beaten egg. Egg gives a deep golden shine. Brush it on thinly and evenly. Water works if you prefer no egg. Scatter sesame seeds over the top.
6. Cover the whole surface generously. They give off a warm nutty aroma. Press whole almonds into the dough. They should sit about half buried. Heat the oven to two hundred and ten degrees. Put a tray in the bottom to heat. Bread needs a genuinely hot oven.
7. Preheat it fully and properly. Give it a good twenty minutes. Pour hot water into the hot bottom tray. Water on a hot tray bursts into steam. Stand back and close the door fast. Never lean out over the hot tray. Steam keeps the crust soft at first.
8. Bake them for about thirty-five minutes. A large ring takes genuinely real time. Cover it with foil if the nuts darken. Almonds burn before the bread is done. Lift them out onto a wire rack. Let all of them cool completely. The crumb sets firm as it cools. Break or cut the ring into pieces. It keeps four days in a sealed bag.

Technique

• The loaf is crusted with whole almonds and tree nut allergy can be severe. They are visible on top, but say clearly what is on it.
• Press each almond firmly into the dough so it sits half buried, since loosely laid nuts fall off in the oven. They also sit proud of the surface and take the most direct heat, darkening well before the bread is done — watch them and cover the loaf with foil if they colour early.
• Make the hole in the ring generously large, since it closes considerably as the dough proves and further as it bakes; start it larger than you want it. Press the join firmly with the ends overlapping slightly, since a weak join opens in the oven.

Substitutions

• Water brushed on works in place of egg for gluing the topping, though egg gives a deeper golden shine.
• Aniseed lightly crushed and orange zest are used in some versions, giving a warm liquorice note that suits the toppings; both are optional.

Variations

• One ring is made for each apostle, twelve traditionally, which is the point of the name — qagħaq means rings and appostli apostles.
• It is baked for the feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck on the tenth of February, a public holiday central to Maltese identity, and again in Holy Week.
• Steam in the first minutes keeps the crust soft so the loaf expands fully; pour hot water into a preheated bottom tray and close the door at once, standing well back.

History

Baked for the feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck and Holy Week, one loaf for each apostle.

Frequently asked questions

What is Qaghaq tal-Appostli?

Qaghaq tal-Appostli is a bread & pastry from Malta: ring loaf crusted with almonds and sesame, eaten around Lent. Baked for the feast of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck and Holy Week, one loaf for each apostle.

How long does Qaghaq tal-Appostli take to make?

Qaghaq tal-Appostli takes 40 minutes plus rising of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 2 large rings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Qaghaq tal-Appostli?

Yes, within limits. Water brushed on works in place of egg for gluing the topping, though egg gives a deeper golden shine. Aniseed lightly crushed and orange zest are used in some versions, giving a warm liquorice note that suits the toppings; both are optional.

What is the most important thing to get right in Qaghaq tal-Appostli?

Press them firmly to join them. The join must be firmly pressed. Press them firmly together properly. Make the hole generously large. Start it larger than you want it. Set both rings on lined trays.