Açma

An açma is a soft, slightly sweet ring-shaped bun from Turkish bakeries, usually eaten at breakfast or with tea. It is an enriched bread rather than a pastry, close in texture to a milk roll, and it is sold fresh in bakeries across Turkey, often in the morning.

What it really is

Flour, milk, yeast, a little sugar, oil and salt make a soft, elastic dough. It is shaped into a rope, the ends are joined into a ring, and the bun is left to rise before baking until pale golden. The crumb is fine and springy and the crust is thin. The sweetness is light, so an açma suits savoury fillings and butter as well as jam.

An açma is a bread, not a sweet cake. Its softness comes from the milk and oil in the dough.

How it's served

• Warm or at room temperature, often with butter, cheese or jam.
• Whole or torn into pieces, served on a plate or wrapped in paper.
• With a glass of tea at breakfast or in the afternoon.

How to write it on the menu

• Call it a sweet ring bun, so guests know it is not a savoury pastry.
• Flag wheat and milk, since the dough is made with both.
• Ask the kitchen whether the top is brushed with egg or sprinkled with seeds, and list those as separate allergens if so.
• Say which fillings or spreads you serve, since butter and cheese add milk.