Step 1

Place the water, flour, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on a low speed for about 1 minute, until dough forms.

Step 2

Increase the speed to medium low and knead for 5-7 minutes until it forms a smooth, soft dough. Add the olive oil and knead until it’s fully incorporated into the dough.

Step 3

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a towel or a loose plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Step 4

Punch down the dough, cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Step 5

Grease an 8 inch cake pan (you can also use a springform pan or special, tall kubaneh pan)  generously with butter.

Step 6

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roll into balls and place on a greased plate. Brush the dough balls with butter and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Step 7

Grease your hands and the work surface with a spoonful of butter. Using your hands, press, flatten and stretch a dough ball into a large square as thin as you possibly can, without tearing it.

Step 8

Fold the left and right sides of the dough in towards the center, creating a letter fold. Roll the dough all the way up from a short side to create a swirled cylinder. Repeat this with the remaining dough balls.

Step 9

Using a sharp knife, cut each cylinder in half across the middle so it forms two tall swirls (they will look a little like taller cinnamon rolls). Place each piece in a single layer in the kubaneh pan, cut side facing up. Continue until the pan is full and you've used all the dough.

Step 10

Brush some butter on top of the unbaked kubaneh, cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 11

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees F. Cover the kubaneh with aluminum foil, making sure to leave the top loose, since the dough will continue to rise while baking.

Step 12

Bake for 8–10 hours. Every 2 hours or so, brush the kubaneh with 1–2 tablespoons of butter.

Step 13

Release the kubaneh from the pan and place on a cooling rack.