Sweet bread rolls (Egyptian Shoreek)

A top view of a pile of rolls on a blue plate.

4.61 from 41 votes

Sweet bread rolls (Egyptian Shoreek)

These sweet bread rolls are the perfect sweet treat to complement your morning coffee, a delicious after school snack with a cup of milk, and great for brunch especially during the holidays.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Rising time1 30

Total Time2 15

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle East

Diet: Halal

Servings: Rolls

Calories: 396kcal

Author: Amira

Ingredients

4 cups (500g) all purpose flour
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar more to sprinkle
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
1 Tablespoon (10g) dry instant yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (60ml) oil , or melted butter
1 cup (250ml) warm milk

Egg wash for brushing:

1 large egg.
1 Tablespoon water or milk.
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract Optional.

Or Use about two tablespoons milk mixed with ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract for brushing.

Instructions

In a deep bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and yeast) well.
In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with vanilla extract.
Turn the mixer on and pour oil and egg mixture while mixing.
Gradually mix in the warm milk until you achieve a dough that is soft but not too sticky.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let it rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until doubled.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper with overhang and set aside.
Take the dough out on a clean surface, divide it into 12 equal parts ( about 85g each), and roll each part into a ball.
Shape each ball into a rope about 40cm long, then shape it into a spiral, and then tuck the end under.
Place the rolls on the baking sheets, cover and let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
Partway through rising time preheat oven to 350F and mix the egg wash ingredients in a small bowl.
Brush the rolls with milk or egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes in the middle of your oven then move up to the upper third and continue baking for another 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown.
Take them out and use overhang parchment paper to lift rolls onto a cooling rack.
Serve warm with butter, honey or jam.

Notes

After complaints about the time this recipe takes for rising, I managed to shorten the time to 1 - 1 ½ hours. If you have time then by all means follow the old fashioned way of leaving it to rise for two 2-hours intervals before shaping and rolling.
When shaping the rolls, make sure to cover the other dough rolls with plastic wrap so they will not get dry
Make-ahead: make the dough, cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. Take the dough out 30-45 minutes to come to room temperature then roll and shape.
It is best to bake in a light metal pan. If you are using dark metal pans, it is better to decrease the temperature to 325F.
If using a glass baking sheet, you might need to increase the baking time by 3-5 minutes total.
SUGAR: I do not recommend increasing sugar in the dough. Increasing sugar will make the dough sticky. I had to add ¼ cup of flour for each 15g of sugar more.
If you need sweeter bread try mixing in some raisins or chocolate chips in the dough before baking. Some people brush the top with sugar syrup while still hot after taking them out of the oven.
USING BUTTER: if you use melted butter instead of oil, you might need a dusting or two more flour.
WATER: If you use water instead of milk, bread will be fluffier but it will lose its richness.
Excited to try another sweet bread recipe? How about this classic Irish Soda Bread with Raisins recipe—it’s simple, hearty, and perfect with a smear of butter.

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