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Zeeuwse bolus
Zeeuwse bolus: sticky Zeeland spiral bun in dark brown sugar and cinnamon
Zeeuwse bolussen are the sticky spiral buns of Zeeland, the delta province in the south-west, brought there, it is said, by Portuguese Jewish bakers in the 17th century: a soft yeast dough rolled in dark brown sugar and cinnamon, twisted into a coil and baked until the sugar caramelises into a sticky, dark crust. Middelburg bakeries sell them with butter. A common mistake is rolling them in too little sugar; they need a thick coat for the caramel. Chef's tip: twist the sugared rope tightly before coiling it, so the sugar is trapped in the folds.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cups warm milk
- 2 ⅛ oz soft butter
For the coating
- 9 oz dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Add 1 ¼ cups warm milk and 2 ⅛ oz soft butter and knead 10 minutes. Cover and rise 1 hour.
10 minStep 2: Mix 9 oz dark brown sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon on a board.
Step 3: Divide dough into 10 and roll each into a 40 cm rope through the sugar, pressing it in. Common mistake: too little sugar; no caramel.
Step 4: Twist each rope and coil it into a snail, tucking the end underneath. Place on lined trays and sprinkle with leftover sugar. Rise 30 minutes.
30 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F). Bake for 18–22 minutes, until dark and sticky.
22 minStep 6: Cool on the paper before lifting off.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zeeuwse bolus take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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