Tahinov Hats | Armenian Tahini Pastry

Mix the flour, yeast, and sugar. Add the lukewarm water and oil and bring the mixture together, then add the salt and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth, and no longer sticky. Place it in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave it to rise.

Stir the tahini thoroughly in its jar, incorporating the dense layer at the bottom with the oil. Whisk 200 g tahini with the sugar and cinnamon until spreadable; some of the sugar may remain grainy.

Divide the risen dough into 8 equal pieces; each weighs 107 g. On a lightly floured counter, roll each piece into a 30 × 20 cm rectangle so thin that the counter’s color shows through.

Spread 45 g tahini mixture over each rectangle, leaving a 1 cm border. Starting at a long edge, roll it tightly into a log. Hold both ends and gently stretch the log, then twist it 4–5 times. Coil the twisted log around itself from one end like a snail shell and tuck the end underneath. Cover with a towel and let it rest.

Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Press each coil with your palm, then gently roll it into a disk 15 cm across and 1 cm thick. Stop if tahini begins to show at the edges. Arrange the disks on parchment-lined baking sheets, brush the tops with water, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Place the baking sheet on the center rack and bake for 18–20 minutes, until the tops are golden and the bottoms are deeply browned. Let the pastries cool on a wire rack before serving.