Khaliat Nahal / Honeycomb Bread
This is one of the most delicious Arabic breads ever! Khaliat al Nahal (known by many as Khaliat Nahal) simply means Bee's Hive. This is due to the bread's resemblance to a honeycomb and for the sweet, honey-flavoured topping it's glazed with.It's a 'softer_than_cotton' type of bread, with some cheese filling in every bun, and a sweet glaze on top. I did a lot of experimenting with various different recipes to finally come up with my own master, no-fail recipe!
Ingredients
Ingredients for glaze/syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp. honey
- pinch of saffron
Ingredients for dough
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp. milk powder
- 1/2 cup water might use less
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 4 tbsp. oil
- 4 tbsp. melted butter
- 1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 6-8 portions/triangles of cheese spread I used The Laughing Cow, but you can use any available to you, like Kiri or Al-Marai, etc.
- 1 egg for egg wash before baking
Instructions
For the glaze/syrup:
- Boil the sugar, water and saffron together for a few minutes until it is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and add the honey. Mix and set aside to cool completely.
For the dough:
- Sieve the flour, then add milk powder, sugar, yeast and salt. Then add the oil and butter and the egg, and mix together. Now add all the milk. Start kneading together and gradually add the water a little at a time. You might not need it all, so add it sparingly until your dough is nice and soft. Knead for a good 8-10 minutes. The more you knead it the softer the buns will be.Touch a bit of oil with your fingertips and apply all over the ball of dough. Cover in a bowl and set aside for 40mins to an hour for it to double in size.If you click HERE, you will able to see step by step instructions.Punch it down, and break off tiny bits of dough. You should get about 40 tiny pieces out of this. Take each piece of dough, and stretch it out with your fingers, then add a small piece of cheese in its center. Bring the edges together and form a ball so that the cheese is completely enclosed within the dough. Repeat this with all the dough.Grease your pan/pans with butter. Place the balls of dough in a 'honeycomb' pattern. Try to get them close to each other so that there are no or very little spaces in between.Cover the pans and set aside for a second rise, about half an hour.Now apply egg wash on the balls, preheat your oven to 180 C and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is nice and golden on top.Remove from the oven and pour your syrup all over the hot bread. Remember that the syrup needs to be cool and the bread needs to be steaming hot straight from the oven. Turn it out and place on a rack to cool and for the syrup to glaze slightly.Serve & Enjoy
Notes
Tip#1:
The egg wash I prefer to use for a lovely glossy finish is made this way. Take 1 egg, beat it with 1 tsp. of milk. Brush on the bread/rolls/buns and bake as directed! 🙂Tip#2:
If you want to cut down on the sweetness, use less syrup or instead of pouring it onto the bread, just apply it using a brush on the tops of the bread.Tip#3:
If you do not like cheese, you can use chocolate instead in the center. Just cut any good quality chocolate bar into cubes and use them instead. Even nutella works but might be a little bit messy during closing it into the dough, unless you solidify it a bit first. 😉
Wow! Sweet
My husband doesnt like cheese, so can i use chocolate pieces instead.
Salam fozi sista I tried ur many dishes can u tell me that can I knead pizza dough or bread chiken dough. And freaz it simplle dough for 4 to 5 day becoz its takin time and if our dough is read we can easliy shape thEm. Ok thanks .allah hafiz
W/Salaam, yes you can although it is better to make the pizza base and half bake it then wrap and freeze, so all you will have to do later is add the toppings and bake until done. 🙂
Tried the bread and it turned out superb!!! Had it with raan in masala and it tasted great! Thank you!!
Can i make this recipe in microvave oven ?
I’ve personally never baked in my microwave so cannot be sure on what temperature or settings to use, but yes you can bake in the microwave.
Can I fill it with nuts as well?
Yes you can.
hi. i tried honey comb buns , they were so good and delicious
This recipe looks very yummy – Can I leave out the sweet syrup part?
Yes you can leave it out.
hii … hw to use dry yeast ???
Hi, please read this note: Yeast
do i have to put something in the center?
No you don’t have to.
Salam, fauzia by pan what do u mean? like in step by step sessions u have used normal bowl for placing the balls..and as per my understanding pan may be that is used in making pizza?
W/Salaam, pan could also mean a BAKING PAN, like for baking cakes.
Sister fauzia.. My post has been removed?
Im sorry i was checking da wrong window
Salaams- can i use this receipe for making buns for burgers
W/Salaam, yes you can.
salaam fauzia can i use cheddar cheese cut into small pieces instead of the laughing cow cheese.
Yes any cheese that you like is fine.
JAZAKALLAH Fauzia for the awesum recipe i actually luv dis bread and ve eaten couple of times but was in hunt for the perfect recipe
…thanks to u for sharing ….May ALlah increase ur reeeezk ……
can I put cream in center??
thanx a lot 🙂
Have not tried with cream but you can give it a try with some of the honeycomb.
amazing !
salaams……tried it twice and it turned out soft and yummmy!!!!!
Nyc post jazakumullahu khairan…but pls wat is dis saffron meaning?
It is a type of spice, please google to see how it looks.
Assalamalaikum
I want to make only one honeycomb so how can I adjust the egg…
W/Salaam, beat and divide in half.
Thank you, I made it and it turned out great…
Asalam aleykum. Thanks a lot. I tried it with raisins inside and it turned out great. Mashaallah jazakillah khairan.
Yes.
hi,i wanna try it today,but i havent got saffron,so what else can be used insted of it????????if not can it change the taste without it………..thanks dear
Hi, you can omit the saffron and flavour your syrup with either vanilla or any other flavouring of your choice, or even leave it as it is.
hi,can i double the measure for sugar instead to make the dough more sweeter and ommit the sugar syrup????
Hi, yes you can.
asw,i have become a big fan of ur recepies and have successfully tried many of urs.i recently tried this one and after i added milk to the flour i had great difficulty in kneading it.it had become very very soft.and after one hour when i checked it for making the balls it had become all oily.yet,i managed to make the bread and it turned out to be very good.is it normal for the dough to become very soft and leave oil??or have i made some mistake??i have taken in using the exact mentioned proportions.hoping for a reply from u soon.thanks for the recepie!
W/Salaam, no have never heard of a dough releasing oil before, very strange. Am glad the results turned out fine but do give it a second try and see if the same thing happened. Add the water/milk gradually whilst kneading so the dough doesn’t go too soft, you may not need to use all the liquid.
asw,i had added all the milk together and then tried kneading it.i guess that was my mistake.vl try it again now by adding it little at a time.nyways,thanks u..!!
hi,i tried this recipe for for the first time and was just great,buuuuuuut the second time it wasnt??actually i wanted the bread to taste more sweeter so that i can ommit the sugar syrup,so i doubled the sugar to 6tbsp and the rest of the ingredients same,buttttttttt the dough did not rise at all??was the sugar toooooooooooooo much,if so what is the plan B,or what can i do with the dough?????????
Hi, no I don’t think the extra sugar would have harmed the recipe, did you use water/milk that is too hot? Coz it can be that the yeast got killed so it didn’t work as it should. You can roll out the dough into chapatis and cook them, serve them as wraps. 🙂
can you make it without the milk powder??? and wot wud u use instead?
Yes you can leave out the milk powder. No need to substitute.
salams sister Fauziya,
Trying your recips one by one. Chicken chowmein, french toast& chicken65 were yummy. Love ur recipes. Thanks alot.
dear fouzia..writing u for the first time.all ur recipies sound really good n wana try them ,, but my problem is that i dont have an electrical oven..instead i have a gas oven,,i mean which has fire from both ends like one from top n another at the bottom..so can it be used for baking breads ..ur response will be highly appreciated..thankzz
Yes it can be used, turn on the bottom heat first and then halfway turn on the top heat so the cooking/baking is evenly done.
Pls may i know what would be a suitable accompaniment for this bread?
It normally is served on it’s own as a sweet bread.
Salam fauzia
I wanted to ask if I can make this in a microwave oven instead of oven.
W/Salaam, I personally never use the microwave for baking.
Can I use a convection oven
Yes that is fine.
The recipe says the syrup mus be cool n the buns hot when poured but the buns do not absorb the syrup completely, it stays sweet on the top bt not in between.
The syrup is supposed to coat the bread not get absorbed into it. 🙂
tried it turned out to be realy good, ur recipes r tooo gud
Sallam sister Fauzia,pls I will like to ask what honey comb is.Thanks 4 educating us,you are indeed a mentor.may ALLAH reward you.Ameen
W/Salaam, the home for bees. Thanks!
Salams Fauzia…
This looks great so I want to make it today but I dont have honey so can I ommit honey in the sugar syrup?
W/Salaam, yes you can omit the honey.
Can I omit egg in this recipe?Will the results be same or do I need a substitute ?
JazakAllahu khairan
.
Yes you can omit the egg, add 2 tbsp yoghurt to give a similar softness as the egg would.
A.a fauzia hope evrhthng z gud,jst wanted to ask do u have any dish inbua website dat u used barley as 1 of ua ingredients if so which dish z dat?plz help,shukran
W/Salaam, sorry I do not have any recipes at the moment that use barley.
i sooo love ur page:):)
Aslam o alaikum,dear Fauzia,
I want to ask tht I can use margrine instead of butter,really lik ur
recipies,plz let me know,
W/Salaam, yes you can.
Salaams Fauzia
Salaams Fauzia
Can I use Ferrero Rocher chocolates in this recipe,or would they be too big? Please let me know. Thanks.
Sounds like a great idea
Sounds like a great idea actually. They may be a bit big but that would mean you will need to make the dough balls slightly bigger.
Jazakallah khair for the
Jazakallah khair for the awesome recipe..
I TRIED THIS FOR DINNER, by making it plain, with an egg wash and sprinkling sesame seeds on top…
served it with saucy baked chicken… though i couldnt bake the chicken, so at the end i cooked it…
but still they were yummmmmy!!!
aslm i have made this recipes
aslm i have made this recipes and it was so perfect specially the bread i did nor pour the syrup only glaze it at home everyone like the buns ao i would like to know whether i can put any chicken filling in it and bake and i would like to have the flour measurement in grams. Thank you
W/Salaam, yes you can use
W/Salaam, yes you can use chicken filling in it. 1 cup of flour is 120gm.
Do i have to activate the
Do i have to activate the yeast first then add to da flour ?
If you are using INSTANT
If you are using INSTANT yeast as mentioned in the recipe then no.
Assalam sis, my sister try
Assalam sis, my sister try this recipes yesterday, wow it was superb.
thanks for sharing that much with us. May Allah bless!!!!
Assalamualaikum wrwb sister,
Assalamualaikum wrwb sister,
I will be trying this tomorrow in shaa Allah, so wanted to ask you two things:
1) Can the recipe be cut into half in order to make only one 8″ bread?
2) Is the baking pan to be kept in the top shelf, centre shelf or the bottom shelf for baking?
JazakAllah Khair!=)
W/Salaam. yes that is fine.
W/Salaam. yes that is fine. Middle shelf.
In his recipe u didn’t
In his recipe u didn’t mention about milk n water , it should be luke warm, hot or at room temperature ? Love u fawzia
It should be warm. 🙂
It should be warm. 🙂
love your website as for the
love your website as for the oven 180C my oven is electrical do I put 180C above and below baking tray or just below. thank you
I do not understand. Do you
I do not understand. Do you have separate temperatures?
Asak. How much yeast and egg
Asak. How much yeast and egg should I add if I want to make half the quantity?
W/Salaam, half an egg and
W/Salaam, half an egg and three-quarter tsp yeast.
Thanks. So it means literally
Thanks. So it means literally halving the quantity? Does this apply for every recipe which calls for eggs and yeast? Also can advice how can I exactly measure half an egg? I read in kne of yiur comments that the thumb rule is 1 tablespoon slightly beaten egg for every cup of flour. Does this also apply for every recipe? Thank you so much.
Break the egg, beat it and
Break the egg, beat it and then measure out half of it. Normally that is about 2 tbsp.
i made this yesterday, was my
i made this yesterday, was my first time ever doin it!
really happy with the end result for the softness and so on
only problem was, i could smell the yeast, and i used the same measurement u recommended! could it be because i used active dried yeast? i should probably use less next time??
and i also did one tray cheese and the other chocolate, and i drizzled the syrup on top, it was abit extra sweet!
if i dont add the syrup, would the bread still stay nice and soft for the chocolate filling??
overall, this recipe made me look like a star to my partners colleagues! lol
Thanks for the awesome
Thanks for the awesome feedback. Could be the brand of yeast used. Normally when using active yeast instead of instant, you actually need to use MORE yeast than the recipe indicates (about a quarter tsp over each tsp of instant yeast). Did you activate the yeast though by mixing it in warm water before adding it to the dough? If possible, try a different brand of yeast and see if that helps. Do not let the dough over-ferment during the rising period. Work with it as soon as it is ready to avoid the yeast smell. Another tip is you can add a pinch or two of baking powder. This tends to counter-act the yeast smell without affecting the bread at all. And yes you can omit the syrup and the bread will still be awesome. 🙂
Asak. Made this today and it
Asak. Made this today and it turned out really good.
I had difficulties when I was preparing the dough. I had even decided to let go and prepare naans from the dough but then made up my mind to at least try.
In the recipe you have specified to add all the milk which is what I did and ended up with a very wet, sticky unmanageable dough. I added about 3 tablespoons of flour and a pinch of yeast and kept kneading. What really happened do you think? I use the same measurements as yours.
W/Salaam, thanks! Sorry about
W/Salaam, thanks! Sorry about the dough though, did you add water too? Or was the milk too much without having added any water?
No I did not add any water,
No I did not add any water, first the dry ingredients, then the oil, butter and egg followed by all the milk. I instantly got the feeling that this doesn’t seam right.
Hmm that is very strange! As
Hmm that is very strange! As you can see it is a tried and tested recipe. Did you by any chance halve the recipe and forgot to halve some of the ingredients? Just checking so as to figure out what could have gone wrong. How much is your cup of milk in ml? And how much per cup of flour in grams please?
Turned out soft and moist!
Turned out soft and moist! Sweet and lil salty from the cheese was just perfect for us , God bless !
aoa ….i wana know is it ok
aoa ….i wana know is it ok to add yeast directly ?..cux u didnt mentioned it here that it should be prepared before hand so i just put it dry …..
I use INSTANT yeast which is
I use INSTANT yeast which is supposed to be added directly. If you are using Active yeast then you will need to activate it first.
Hi i want to know can i make
Hi i want to know can i make this without chees
Hi, yes you can.
Hi, yes you can.
Hi want make half amount of
Hi want make half amount of recipie it willbe allright? plz reply dear
Yes that is fine.
Yes that is fine.
Salam sister fauzia, i tryed
Salam sister fauzia, i tryed this recipe in it was awesome my whole family liked this thank you for posting this recipe
A must try recipe.
A must try recipe.
I have made it twice turned out great.
Just want to ask fauzia I didn’t get 40 balls out of the dough only max 20…wondering why?
Aww thanks! I make the balls
Aww thanks! I make the balls REALLY tiny, literally a bit bigger than a marble,. That is why I get 40. 🙂
Hi Fawzia
Hi Fawzia
I tried this recipe, easy as ABC but i burned mine lol, i was suprised to see that the bread was still soft althogh it was burned. Very good recipe, Allah barik.
PS my kids didnt like the laughing cow cheese, can i use mozzarella instead?
Jazaki llahu khair
Hi, yes absolutely! You can
Hi, yes absolutely! You can use any filling they like, even pieces of chocolate or some peanut butter or jam or nutella. You can make it savoury and put bit of chicken in there or keema, in which case you can omit the sugar syrup of course. Anything works. 🙂
Hello. i was kind off
Hello. i was kind off confused about the honeycomb. How do i make the balls? and put the cheese in the middle??
Hi, just cut pieces of dough,
Hi, just cut pieces of dough, stretch them out with your hands and put a piece of cheese in the middle then bunch it back up into a ball.
Hi fauzia,
Hi fauzia,
This recipe is ALWAYS a succes and everyone loves it.
I only have trouble with making pizza dough or rose rolls…they turn out dryer…pizza is even more dry then the rose..
THerefore i thought how is it that the honeycomb dough turns out always soft?
Can i use this dough recipe also for salty ingredients like the rose rolls or pizza….or other type of filling that is more salty???
Wish you All the best.
Hi, could be that you are not
Hi, could be that you are not kneading the dough enough or you are overbaking the dish. Make sure you bake for not more than the recommended time given. And yes you can use whichever dough recipe you prefer for the pizza, although if done correctly, the pizza dough recipe is perfect for pizzas. 🙂
Assalamualaikumwarahmathullah
Assalamualaikumwarahmathullah I have made this honeycomb and mashaallah it turned out perfect ever time. But the only problem I face is every time the baked thing sticks to the bottom of the pan. I always grease my pan with butter. But I just find it difficult to turn it out. Please help me out from this
W/Salaam, thank you!
W/Salaam, thank you! Sometimes it depends on the type of pan used. Try greasing with oil instead of butter and see if that helps. Or line the pan with baking parchment or aluminium foil so that you can lift the whole thing out and carefully peel off the paper.
I tried it.. it was yummy..
I tried it.. it was yummy.. thanks a lot dear
Salam fauzia
Salam fauzia
Can this dough be used for pizza and I also wanted to reduce the sugar added to it … Is it possible
W/Salaam, this is an enriched
W/Salaam, this is an enriched dough and not the perfect one for something like pizza. Please have a look at my pizza/pasta album for the best pizza doughs to use. 🙂
i made it 2day but wasnt as
i made it 2day but wasnt as soft and fluffy! should the 1 cup milk be warm or hot??
And i didnt need the water for the dough the milk
was enough! gona try it again thank you:)
You need to make sure you are
You need to make sure you are kneading the dough well. Poorly kneaded dough or dough that is not soft enough will tend to be dense or tough. The milk should be WARM never HOT. 🙂
Hi how long we can store this
Hi how long we can store this?
Hi, in the fridge for a few
Hi, in the fridge for a few days, frozen for up to 2 weeks.
Salaam..is it okay to use
Salaam..is it okay to use cream cheese in the centre? Thanks
W/Salaam, yes you can.
W/Salaam, yes you can.
Slmz.do i use warm or cold
Slmz.do i use warm or cold milk and water
W/Salaam. Warm.
W/Salaam. Warm.
Hii fayziya
Hii fayziya
How much grams will be 3n half cup of apf?
Would love to try this recipe.thank you
Please refer to this note for
Please refer to this note for measurement conversions: http://www.fauziaskitchenfun.com/my-measurements
hi fauzia. iv tried ur
hi fauzia. iv tried ur numerous recipes n this tirned out sooper …iv tried it twice. this weekend i plan to make it but am just curious to know that can i make it n store it in freezer 2, 3 days before so as to reduce burden that day? also what isnthe proper method to freeze it. ? like i want to freeze the dough only n make honeycomb on the day i want to bake so as not to occupy too much space in freezer. also how to thaw it before starting to make balls n add filling? wont it become softer in consistency?
Hi, to be honest I normally
Hi, to be honest I normally do not like freezing uncooked dough as I feel that the texture changes a lot after it thaws. I prefer to either bake on the day or bake the bread beforehand and then freeze until needed.
Tried this with cheese n
Tried this with cheese n nutella turned out gr8!! Thanks alwayyys!! Do u hv a recipe for sweet puri/ pakwan!??
Thanks for the awesome
Thanks for the awesome feedback! No at the moment I do not have that recipe.
Hey assalam aleikum sister
Hey assalam aleikum sister fauzia..mashaAllah your recipes are easy and soo yummy…. jazakillahi dear… had a question can i use mozzarella cheese in the honeycomb.. plz if you cld answer me cz i bought that and wanted to make them today itself… shukraan dear awaiting your reply in sha Allah
W/Salaam, thank you! Yes you
W/Salaam, thank you! Yes you can.
Hey faiza , love your recipes
Hey faiza , love your recipes.
Well i wanted to know if this can be made on stove top ?
Hi, its Fauzia not Faiza :).
Hi, its Fauzia not Faiza :). Yes you can.
Hi i ve tried this recipe
Hi i ve tried this recipe many times..n has turned out very good….today i wanted to make it again but i am falling short of flour ..can i use whole wheat flour instead..plz reply
Hi, the results will not be
Hi, the results will not be as light and fluffy with whole wheat flour but yes it can be used.
Assalam aleykum sister Fauzia
Assalam aleykum sister Fauzia. May Allah bless you for your good work. I’ve made this bread many times and it always comes out superb. Wanted to ask if i can make a shape of braid, just want to make a variation. Can i use this recipe, or which bread recipe of yours can i do the shape with. Your response will be highly appreciated.
W/Salaam, Ameen and
W/Salaam, Ameen and jazakillah. Yes you can shape this in a braid or use my chicken bread recipe which also works really well for shaped breads.
Salamz fauzia sis… I luv ya
Salamz fauzia sis… I luv ya all recipes.. Those r really easy recipes… My question z when I bake sweet bun the top of the bun not will be in brown color n b4 baking it I brush on the top with melted butter. But the bottom part becoming brown n the bun wil b soft… Plz help me hw do I make the bun on the top brown color? Hope u understand
W/Salaam, make sure the top
W/Salaam, make sure the top part of your oven heats as well.
I hv a conventional oven n it
I hv a conventional oven n it hasn’t upper rack for bake… And if I bake any other bun like triangle oven bun n it came perfect like u made…
hey fauzia,
I have tried the recipe many times and it always turns out to be perfect Alhumdulilah, Just wanted to know if I can use the same dough recipe for pizza bites?
Thanks
Yes you can use this same recipe for pizza bites.
Is it must to use milk powder