Today we make simple crescents filled with jam. Milk infused dough, rolled out and stuffed with a jam of your choice, then baked. A perfect way to treat your family on a Sunday morning.
Any mention of homemade crescents or crescent rolls and I’m 8 again. It’s a deep winter night, my cheeks are blushing red from the cold and I’m grabbing my siblings’ hands as we make the trek home from Zetra.
Zetra was a sports complex built for Sarajevo’s ‘84 Olympics, and a rite of passage for those of us from the 80s Sarajevo. As soon as you sensed the chill that would soon be inviting snow into the city, Friday couldn’t come quick enough to go ice-skating on Zetra’s outside rink.
Although I was young for the crowd, my siblings happily allowed me to be their mascot every now and then.
The ice-rink was aligned with night-lights that almost touched the heavy clouds, and checkered with speakers blasting tunes of the day: The Cure, Scorpions, Madonna... The ice itself was so smooth, when I first stepped on it I promptly demanded they take me to the other side of the rink because it was, “too slippery here!”
Afterwards, we’d gather in the locker room for tea so hot it menaced to melt clear plastic cups in which it was served. I’d change into my shoes, and tie the laces of my miniature white ice-skates together, prepping to carry them over my shoulder - one in the front and the other in the back.
And as the first snow of the season started to caress Sarajevo, the three of us walked through its winding streets to our home. Without fail, mom and dad waited up for us with, still warm, homemade jam crescent rolls. Like any family ours juggled obligations - work, school, and the rest of it. Sometimes we didn’t have a lot of time for each other. But those nights after Zetra, nights like that were perfect. It was five of us against the world.
If there was a glitch in our timeline and an event could get stuck on repeat, I’d ask for a night like that.
Today I’m sharing my mom’s crescent roll (kiflice) recipe with you.
These crescents are easy to make and you’ve probably encountered a version of the recipe before. Preparation is similar to making the dough for bread, except you’ll use milk instead of water. After you’ll wait an hour or two for the dough to rise, and then the rolling pin makes its entrance. That’s pretty much it.
Don’t worry if you don’t have marmalade or jam on hand. These crescents will be perfect even without a filling. They go great with ajvar (ajver), or orange jam. I make “no filling” batches a lot, or I fill half with jam, and half with cheese. Hard cheeses work well. These go great with heartier fares such as moussaka too.
So start making the dough, and tell me, what would be your event stuck on repeat?
P.S. Recipes similar to the filled crescents include the marmalade rolls, plum jam strudel, and Nutella strudel as well. Which one will you make today?
Kiflice - Balkan-style Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 8 cups all-purpose flour plus a little more
- 2 cups lukewarm milk the volume vary to be a little bit less or a little bit more
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 3.4 ounces vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 2-7 gram bags, avoid instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- filling of choice Sweet: jam (raspberry, fig, orange, etc.), Nutella, chocolate, nuts, candied fruit, preserves, etc. Savory: ham, cheese (feta, cottage, Ricotta, mozzarella, etc.), cured meats, ajvar, etc.
- 2 egg yolks add a pinch of water
- (Optional) 1-2 tablespoons seeds sesame or poppy
Instructions
- Activate Yeast. Combine dry yeast and sugar with a little bit of milk. Wait 7-10 minutes, or until the yeast activates (starts to foam).
- Knead the Dough. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture. Then slowly add in milk, yogurt, oil, and eggs as you start to work the dough. Knead until you get a smooth, firm, elastic dough ball.
- Let the Dough Rise. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature, or until it doubles in size. Don't hurry this step.
- TIP: If you have the time, it's best to leave the dough in the fridge overnight covered in saran wrap. When ready to make kiflice, take it out and let it come to room temperature before continuing the steps below.
- Divide the Dough. Punch the dough down. Transfer to a working space sprinkled with flour. Divide the dough into 5 equal balls. Knead each ball for a minute or two.
- Create Kiflice 'Slices.' Choose one ball and using a rolling pin, roll it into a circle approximately 12-13inches (30-33cm). Using a pizza wheel, or a sharp knife, cut the circle into 16 small wedges.
- Shape Kiflice. Take a teaspoon, and fill each wedge ("slice") with filling at the wider part towards the top. (Don't overstuff it as the filling may completely ooze out during baking.) Roll the wedge from the wide part to the thin, and gently shape into a crescent. Place on parchment paper in your baking pan.
- Repeat. Repeat the process until all of the dough is filled and shaped into crescents/ kiflice.
- Proof Last Time. Let kiflice rest for 45-60 minutes in the baking pan. (You may have to use two.) Preheat oven to 395° (200°C)during the last 15 minutes.
- Paint Kiflice. Using a brush, paint kiflice with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds.
- Bake Kiflice. Bake crescents for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve with warm Bosnian coffee, tea, instead of bread with a main course, or as a snack any time of day.Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.Reheat in the oven for a few minutes to restore softness.
Notes
- Nutritional and Serving Information
Nithya says
After reading a story like that, all I want to do is run into the kitchen and make crescent rolls and then eat them while pretending my cheeks are pink from ice skating. I would too, if it wasn't almost midnight.
My event stuck in repeat is when I was nine and we'd just brought a new puppy home. He spent the whole night crying, missing his mother, and I crept out of bed to sit with him. In the morning, I sat on the terrace with him in my lap, and he finally fell asleep. I can still see his little belly, rising and falling, as I watched him and the sun shone on us. I made my breathing as shallow as I could, so I wouldn't wake him.
aida says
Nithya, that is a heartwarming story. Thank you for sharing. I hope you had many wonderful memories with your puppy, and I am certain that time you spent with him on the terrace made him devoted to you for life. Such beautiful story indeed.
Suzanne Memic says
Hi Aida - Of course love your website! Was wondering if you had a recipe for somun ?
Aida says
Hey Suzanne,
I haven't mastered it yet. I think the trick for the real somun is in the type of ovens they use in bakeries: old school, real fire kind of ovens. Making the dough isn't complicated, but in my experience, somun at home never achieves the soft consistency on the inside. You know, the fluffiness.? I did find a recipe here, so check it out and share your wisdom with me after you make them. https://thewordybaker.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/somun-bosnian-flatbread/
Julie says
Thank you for this recipe! It worked perfectly for me. I love that it has traditional US conversions because I am not used to weighing my ingredients or converting the oven temps to Fahrenheit. I added some precooked chicken spinach sausage along with some grated smoked gouda instead of jam and served them as dinner rolls. They were a huge hit with my family! I also love your narratives. My family and I lived in Sarajevo for one memorable year and your stories capture that experience so well. Thanks again
Aida says
Julie,
You're welcome! Glad you had a chance to spend some time in Sarajevo, and that it left a memorable impression. That city has a tendency to get under one's skin. Thanks for your ideas for crescents. They're versatile and I love ideas for what else can be combined with them. You had me at smoked gouda by the way! If there is a recipe you'd like, let me know, and we'll look to put it in our rotation.
Murisa says
Hi Aida! Found your blog bc I was looking for a kifle recipe on in English. They’re in the oven now. I’ll make sure to tag you on Instagram to show you how they came out! I have memories of being around three years old in Bosnia and my brother getting ready for school on winter mornings. I would always wake up early and eat break least with him and drink my hot tea and then go back to sleep once he left. And then I would help him take off his frozen boots when he got home. We are three years apart and not that close as adults but I’ll always cherish our childhood memories before the war tore everything apart.
Aida says
Hi Murisa,
Glad you found the blog too. Those are beautiful memories of you and your brother. Hope you were able to build a great life for yourself. Enjoy the crescents.
Edina Gabeljic says
Perfect recipe!
Aida says
Thank you Edina 🙂
Natasa says
Very excited to make this! Is Bakers yeast the same as either Instant Yeast or Active Dry Yeast? Thanks!
Aida says
Yes! Happy cooking. 🙂