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1
Mix and Knead the Dough
15 Mins + 1 Hour Rise
Warm milk at 40°C (104°F)
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and leave 5 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, plain flour, 30 g sugar, 6 g cardamom, 4 g cinnamon and salt. Pour in the yeasted milk and the melted butter, then knead for about 10 minutes, adding the warm water a spoonful at a time, until the dough is smooth, soft and no longer sticky. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
The milk must feel warm on your wrist, not hot — water above 46°C (115°F) kills yeast and the dough will not rise.
Done when: Dough has doubled in size and springs back slowly when poked with a fingertip.
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2
Make the Spiced Sugar Filling
5 Mins
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
In a small bowl, mix the 100 g filling sugar with the ground dried lime, 3 g cardamom and 3 g cinnamon. Rub in the 15 g softened butter with your fingertips until the mixture clumps together like damp sand. Set aside — this is the filling that melts into caramel inside the cookies.
Taste a pinch: it should be sweet first, then warmly spiced, with a clear sour edge from the dried lime.
Done when: The mixture holds together when squeezed and smells sharply of lime and cardamom.
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3
Fill and Shape the Domes
20 Mins
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Knock the risen dough back gently and divide it into 24 equal pieces, about 40 g each. Flatten one piece in your palm into a round about 8 cm across, place 1 teaspoon of filling in the centre, then gather the edges up and pinch firmly to seal. Roll the sealed ball gently between your palms until smooth, with the seam underneath, and place it seam-side down on a lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 4 cm apart.
Seal the edges tightly — any gap lets the melted sugar leak out in the oven and burn on the tray.
Done when: 24 smooth, even balls with no visible filling and no cracks.
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4
Press the Pattern and Egg Wash
10 Mins
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Press each ball gently with a kleeja mould, a patterned glass, or the back of a fork to flatten it into a dome about 6 cm across and stamp the signature crosshatch pattern on top. Brush each dome lightly with the beaten egg — just enough to shine, without pooling in the pattern. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) while you work.
Press straight down and lift cleanly; twisting the mould tears the pattern and can split the seal.
Done when: Every dome is evenly flattened, clearly patterned, and lightly glossed with egg.
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5
Bake Until Golden
25 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Bake the tray in the centre of the oven for 20–25 minutes, turning the tray once halfway through, until the domes are deep golden brown and the pattern lines are a shade darker. The filling inside will be molten, so leave the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack — they firm up as they cool and the sugar sets into caramel.
Check at 20 minutes: kleeja goes from golden to burnt quickly, so pull the tray as soon as the tops are evenly browned.
Done when: Domes are deep golden with darker pattern lines, crisp at the edges, and firm enough to lift without bending.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Cool the kleeja on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving — the filling is molten sugar straight from the oven and needs time to set into caramel. Serve warm or at room temperature, piled on a tray, with Arabic coffee or tea.
Saudi Arabia
2h
Spain
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