Date Stuffed Bread – Fufu’s Kitchen

This brioche-like date stuffed bread (ma’arouk) is fluffy, sweet, and aromatic. It’s usually eaten during Ramadan as a post-fast treat. You can, however, enjoy it all year long as the perfect mid-day snack, light dessert, or brunch pastry. It is fantastic on its own or with a slice of white cheese and coffee. It is the perfect pick-me-up to start the day with a boost of energy from the natural sugars in dates.

What is Ma’arouk?

Ma’arouk is the perfect combination of bread and dates, two of my favorite foods. When you combine the two, it is pure bliss! The bread is light and fluffy, while the date filling is sweet yet aromatic with notes of cinnamon and cardamom. The bread is topped with sesame seeds and lightly glazed in simple syrup. So good!

I had date stuffed bread (ma’arouk) for the first time in the streets of Jerusalem. I had just finished praying at Masjid Al-Aqsa nearby and was hungry, so I opted for a handheld snack for convenience. Typically, I go for fatayeran assortment of savory pies that come in cheese, spinach, and meat flavors. However, once I saw these date-filled brioche buns on display, I was eager to try them and was not disappointed.

Ingredients for Stuffed Brioche Bread

DOUGH

• Warm milk- must be warm to the touch. If it is hot, then the yeast will die. If it is cool, then the yeast won’t activate.
• Yeast- fast rising or active dry both work here but I used fast rising as it is preferable.
• Granulated Sugar
• An egg
• Melted Butter
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking powder

Date Filling

• Medjool dates are the preferred dates as they are plump and juicy.
• Ghee- butter can be substituted in its place.
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Cardamom

tOPPING

• Egg wash (egg + cream)
• Sesame Seeds- nigella black seeds can be used as well
• Simple syrup glaze- this is optional, but it is appealing and offers a sweet touch

How to make Date Stuffed Bread Rings

For the longest time, I was intimidated by making these, thinking they would be difficult. However, this date-stuffed bread, known as ma’arouk, is quite the opposite. The filling comes together in minutes in the food processor. The dough only needs 5-10 minutes of work; the rest is proofing time. Lastly, fill and shape. It is that straightforward.

1. Work on the Brioche-style dough. What makes this dough brioche-like is the addition of butter and egg. I used my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook.
2. Combine yeast, warm milk, sugar with a whisk. Then, add the egg and melted butter along with vanilla. Whisk again.
3. Add the dry ingredients and use the dough hook to knead the dough for 6 minutes.
4. Roll into a large ball and place in an oiled bowl.
5. Cover and allow to proof until double in size. This takes 1-2 hours. The longer it proofs the better the results.
6. Then, divide the dough into 10 smaller balls.
7. Flatten each one out with a rolling pin until its a 1/4 inch thick.
8. Fill with the date paste shaped like a log and roll.
9. Allow for the ends to meet in a spiral shape and use your kitchen scissors to clip the edges to reveal the date filling.
10. Brush with egg wash and top with sesame seeds.
11. Bake and then glaze lightly with simple syrup if you wish. Enjoy!

See the images below for an idea on how stuff, roll and shape the date stuffed bread.

Please Leave a Review & Rating

I’m excited for you to try this date stuffed bread also known as ma’arouk! If you try my recipes, please leave a star rating and/ or review in the comment section below. I love hearing from you. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below as well. You can share your remakes with me on Instagram!