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Boulou
Boulou (בולו): Moroccan-Jewish anise and raisin loaf for breaking the Yom Kippur fast
After the long Yom Kippur fast, Moroccan families in Beersheba and Dimona break it gently with tea and slices of boulou, a sweet, cake-like bread scented with anise and studded with raisins and walnuts. It keeps well for days, so many cooks bake it before the holiday and it lasts through Sukkot with coffee. The crumb is tight and tender, closer to a sweet brioche than to challah, with a shiny sesame top. People often under-bake it because the crust browns fast; check with a skewer, not by colour. Chef's tip: toast the anise seeds in a dry pan for a minute before adding them, which deepens the liquorice note without making it sharp.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- ⅓ oz instant dried yeast
- 4 oz sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp anise seeds
- 2 eggsat room temperature
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp orange zest
To finish
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Toast 2 tsp anise seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute, then tip into a large bowl.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ⅓ oz instant dried yeast, 4 oz sugar and ½ tsp salt to the bowl and mix. Whisk 2 eggs, ½ cup sunflower oil, ¾ cup lukewarm water and 1 tbsp orange zest together and pour in.
Step 3: Knead for 8–10 minutes into a soft, smooth dough that feels slightly tacky. Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
80 minStep 5: Lay the logs on a lined tray, cover and leave to rise for 40 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F.
40 minStep 6: Brush with 1 egg yolk and sprinkle with 2 tbsp sesame seeds.
Step 7: Bake for 35–40 minutes, until deep golden and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean. Cover with foil if it browns too fast.
40 minStep 8: Cool completely on a rack before slicing; it slices more neatly the next day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boulou take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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