Krachel (Sweet Anise Rolls)

Name: Krachel (Sweet Anise Rolls)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 500 g bread flour; 200 ml whole milk; 80 g unsalted butter; 80 g caster sugar; 7 g active dry yeast; 2 tsp anise seeds; 3 g sesame seeds; 2 ml orange blossom water; 2 eggs; 1 tsp salt

Krachel are brioche-like sweet rolls perfumed with anise, sesame, and orange blossom—Fez and northern Morocco’s answer to the French brioche, with a North African spice cabinet. A long, cool proof develops an open, cotton-soft crumb; an egg wash and sesame crust glisten from the bakery window. Tear one open for breakfast with jam and café au lait or mint tea.

Recipe byChef Youssef

Prep 40 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 12

Bread Pastry Baking Vegetarian Halal

Ingredients

Servings

Scaled from 12 base servings — local only.

500 gbread flour
200 mlwhole milk
80 gunsalted butter
80 gcaster sugar
7 gactive dry yeast
2 tspanise seeds
3 gsesame seeds
2 mlorange blossom water
2eggs
1 tspsalt

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Instructions

Warm milk; dissolve yeast and a spoonful of sugar. Mix flour, remaining sugar, salt, anise, one egg, butter, orange blossom, and yeast milk; knead until silky.
First rise 2 hours until very puffy. Divide into 12 pieces; shape into knots or rounds.
Proof 45 minutes. Brush with beaten egg; sprinkle generously with sesame.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) 22–25 minutes until deep golden. Cool on a rack—the crumb stays soft for days.