Sunday, August 7, 2011

Krachel (Moroccan Sweet Rolls)


I have so many notes about this recipe that I'm just going to address them right away. 

Here we go:
  1. First, this is a very dense sesame/anise bread with a good amount of sugar in it. In terms of sugar, I wouldn't compare it to a cookie, but I would say it's a bit sweeter than the typical American sweet roll. I would serve this with breakfast, as a replacement to pancakes/waffles/etc, or as a snack. If you want to serve it with dinner, or you're not a fan of sweet then you could halve the sugar.
  2. I prefer this recipe with a hint of anise so I only use 1 teaspoon but I could stand 2 teaspoons as well. Adjust to taste.
  3. The color should be dark on top and to achieve this I brush the top with an egg yolk. 

And if you have a toddler, they will probably eat it, but I think they will spend the majority of their time picking the tiny sesame seeds off the top and eating them. This is so very cute until they sneak into the kitchen and quietly pick all of the seeds off the other rolls and then you have naked krachels. hehehe 
Toddlers are hilarious.

Baby Name Update
Same as before
Samuel and Elliot
Love both, can't decide which though. My life might have been easier if I were pregnant with twin boys (or not...). I'm thinking about waiting until he is born and just staring at him for a while to decide which one fits. I find that challenging though. I'm the parent that likes to be overly prepared. I want everything in place, just right and decided before the baby arrives. When I went to the hospital to have Mimi I had two huge diapers bags full of stuff just for her, plus a suitcase for me. I hardly used anything I packed, but I was happy knowing I had everything. Almost literally everything. :)

Sugar, salt, sesame, anise
The dough, after kneading
It should be a little bit sticky when done
Place onto a baking sheet
Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle on sesame seeds
A dense sweet roll
Krachel
Serving Size = About 12 rolls
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (plus extra, about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup of sugar (can halve if you don't want them too sweet)
  • 1/4 cup warm milk
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 egg for the dough
  • 1 egg yolk to brush top with
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 - 2 teaspoon anise seeds, to taste (I use 1 teaspoon for mild flavor)
  1. Mix together the water and yeast, set aside.
  2. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, sesame seeds and anise seeds in a mixer (or by hand if you don't have one). I used the flat beater, but you could use the dough hook too. Pour in the milk, yeast, butter and 1 egg. Mix. It should be sticky, but it should still come together in a ball. If it doesn't, add some additional flour 1 tablespoon or so at a time.
  3. Remove from mixer and place on a floured surface, knead for a few minutes until it looks smooth but still sticky. Place into a bowl, cover with a towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
  4. Separate the dough into balls about the size of your palm (I get about 12). Flatten them a bit and place them on a greased baking sheet.
  5. Cover them and let them rise for 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350F.
  7. Brush the top of each roll with the egg yolk and then sprinkle on some sesame seeds.
  8. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until cooked through and browned on top.

Linking to: Hearth and Soul

14 comments:

Lisa said...

I've never heard of these rolls before but now I'm dying to make them. Can the anise seeds be substitute with a different spice, like cinnamon?

Elsa said...

Cinnamon would definitely create a different flavor since anise is a flavor all its own, but I think it would still taste good. I've never tried it before, but it sounds good. I've been out of anise seeds in the past though and just completely left them out of the recipe and that works as well. Hope this helps!! :)

Elsa said...

And everyone adjusts according to taste. I've even seen recipes where the bread is light and fluffy instead of dense. You can do just about anything with it. :)

kitchen flavours said...

This looks interesting! I have never heard of this sweet rolls before. I think this would be lovely eaten with a thick spread of salted butter! Thanks for sharing, Elsa!

Melynda@Scratch Made Food! said...

Elsa, these rolls are beautiful! I agree with Joy, must have butter!

Alea Milham said...

I can totally see my little guy picking off all of the sesame seeds! Hehe The flavor combination must cause an unexpected surprise for someone who was expecting to bite into a plain roll. I think they would be great paired with a savory dish.

And since we are discussing butter, I never butter bread. :)

Elsa said...

I rarely butter my bread as well. My husband always butters his and my daughter will actually beg to eat a chunk of butter. :)

Alea Milham said...

My oldest son used to direct us in how to butter his bread. He would say, "I want big butter, covered butter, no spotted butter". :) Thanks for sharing your recipe with the Hearth and Soul Hop.

Kim of Mo Betta said...

mmmm, these sound like they would be delicious with my coffee in the morning!

Sudha said...

Hello Elsa,
Absolutely loved your Moroccan rolls and you space here as well!:)I'm having a linky party and would love to have you join in!Do drop in sometime:)

Cheers,
Wit,wok&wisdom

Anonymous said...

Those look so interesting. Love anise in sweet breads. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.

April @ The 21st Century Housewife said...

Both lovely names - but I think you are right, you will know when you see your baby what the best choice is. My son was an Alex right from the off - even though I insisted everyone was going to call him nothing but Alexander! I love this recipe, anise is one of my favourite flavours, and I like how this roll bridges the sweet / savory divide. Thank you for sharing a lovely recipe with the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

Unknown said...

Love to try these, if you add a tablespoon of Orange blossom it will give them a nice flavor

Unknown said...

v

Post a Comment