Recipe(tried): Armenian Sweet Dinner Rolls - Choreg or Cheoreg

ARMENIAN SWEET DINNER ROLLS
CHOREG OR CHEOREG

These Armenian dinner rolls are similar to a Portuguese Sweet Bread (P o Doce) or King's Hawaiian Bread/Rolls.

While this is a simple recipe for dinner rolls, the bread is sometimes made into braided or other fancy shapes.
The dough in this particular, old family, recipe is too wet to form into fancy shapes. Use less liquid if you wish to form fancy shapes.

This recipe is an old family recipe from by wife's Aunt Beulah who lived in Fresno, CA. The recipe is at least 50 years old.

6 cups all purpose flour, stirred with a fork, but not sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 to 1 tsp mahleb (or mahlab)* (optional)
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water (not over 105-degrees F)
2 Tbsp (or 2 packets) active dry yeast
1 cube (1/4-lb) melted butter, (salted or unsalted ok)
1 cup lukewarm milk (not over 105-degrees F)
3 eggs, beaten (for use in dough)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, whipped with 1 tsp water (for coating each roll prior to baking)
2 Tbsp white sesame seeds for topping rolls

In a 5-quart bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside until needed.

In a cup, completely mix dry yeast into warm water (not over 105-degrees F) and allow it to proof (form bubbles). This takes about 15-minutes. Set aside until needed.

In a 4-cup, measuring cup or bowl, melt 1 cube of butter in the microwave, about 45-seconds.

In another cup, heat milk in the microwave until lukewarm (not over 105-degrees F) about 45-seconds. Pour warm milk into melted butter and mix well. Beat 3 eggs into milk/butter mixture. Whisk until completely mixed. Whisk sugar into into milk/butter/eggs mixture until it is well blended. Add yeast/water mixture to milk/butter/eggs/sugar mixture and mix well.

Add blended liquids to flour/baking powder/salt mixture. Stir with a fork until a soft sticky dough forms. Make sure flour in bottom of bowl is completely mixed in. Don't knead. Cover bowl of dough and allow to rise 2 or 3 hours in a warm place, such as an off oven with oven light on.

The dough is sticky, so spray cooking oil onto your hands and into a 1/4 cup measuring cup so you can handle dough. Scoop out 1/4 cup portions of dough and form each into a ball. Place each dough ball onto cookie sheets that have been lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Place balls of dough about 4 to 6 inches apart to allow room for rising. The size of each may vary slightly, that's okay.

Place cookie sheets back into an off oven with oven light on for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to allow dough to rise. When risen, the rolls with be about 3 inches across and about 1 inch tall.

Whisk together 1-egg and 1-teaspoon of warm water. Carefully brush each risen dough circle with beaten egg and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-minutes, or until light golden brown.

*Mahleb (or mahlab) is a middle eastern aromatic spice made from ground black cherry pits. It is available in middle eastern markets. The flavor is similar to a combination of almond and cherry. It's an optional ingredient if you can't find it.

Makes 2-dozen, 3 to 4-inch, dinner rolls.