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Badambura
Badambura: Baku layered almond rolls
Badambura means "almond twist", and in Baku it is the cousin of shekerbura that takes more patience: the dough is rolled thin, brushed with butter and rolled up in a long spiral, so it bakes into crisp, flaky layers around a moist almond filling. It is made for Novruz and weddings and sold year-round in the old-city bakeries of Icherisheher, wrapped in paper with a dusting of icing sugar. The flavour is pure almond and cardamom with a hint of vanilla. Serve with black tea in pear-shaped glasses. Chef's tip: keep the rolled spiral cold in the fridge for 20 minutes before cutting; firm dough keeps its layers.
- Total time
- 115 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
For layering
For the filling
To finish
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast and ¼ tsp salt. Add ¾ cup warm milk, 3 ½ oz sour cream, 1 egg and 3 ½ oz butter and knead for 6–8 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and leave for 1 hour in a warm place, until puffy.
60 minStep 2: Mix 9 oz ground almonds, 7 oz caster sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 egg white into a moist paste that holds its shape.
Step 3: Divide the dough into 3. Roll one piece on a floured surface into a very thin rectangle, about 30 x 40 cm, so thin you can see your hand through it when lifted.
Step 4: Spread with a third of 3 ½ oz butter, then roll up from the long side into a tight log. Coil or fold the log back on itself, wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
20 minStep 5: Cut each log into 8 pieces. With the cut side up, press each piece flat and roll into a 10 cm round; you should see thin rings of layers.
Step 6: Spoon a tablespoon of filling onto each round, fold into a half-moon or a small rectangular roll and seal the edges. One mistake is overfilling: the almond paste bubbles out and caramelises on the tray.
Step 7: Heat the oven to 350°F (fan 325°F). Arrange on lined trays, brush with 1 egg yolk and bake for 22–25 minutes, until golden brown and the layers at the edges look crisp and separated.
25 minStep 8: Cool on a rack and dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does badambura take?
- About 115 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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