I swear, the hardest part was deciding which type of bread to make. I've had Bialys on my to-make list forever. And while I've made rye before, I don't think I've ever made a true Jewish rye. I considered making a non-yeast bread like Matzo or Mandelbrot. I used to make bagels every weekend. Something intricate like a beautiful Babka or braided Challah just seemed like too much in this heat since our air conditioner is broken, making it a disgusting 86 degrees in the house without the oven on.
After taking a few peeks at what everbody else was making for the month, I set out in search of something that was not too intricate (so I wouldn't sweat more), but still yeasted (because I was in the mood). While my library is typically a reliable resource for cookbooks from any cuisine or specialty, they didn't have any books featuring Jewish bread—and by the time I got serious about making my choice, it was too late to order anything from Amazon. To the land of Google I went.
This version resembles challah, and I wanted to go this route since my husband loves bread in this style—sweet (though not too sweet) and almost cake-like in its density. I love that it's studded with fruit, nuts and seeds, adding flavor and texture to each bite. It's also accented with a frangrant whisper of orange and anise, making is somewhat irresistible.
How was it? Fantastic! It's dense, but not heavy. It's sweet, but not dessert-sweet. And for being an enriched bread, it's fairly delicate. I can see how it might be a fast-breaker.
While Boulou doesn't necessarily need to be "subtitled" Libyan Jewish Bread, I did so in order to draw attention to the Jewish population that it relates to. I went back and forth trying to decide whether it would be better to say "Libyan Jewish Bread" or "Jewish Libyan Bread". Both sound right AND wrong once you say them enough times. Let me know if you think I described it incorrectly. If, like me, you didn't realize there was (once) a Jewish population in North Africa, here are a few resources to read more about the final exodus of the Libyan Jews, Jews still not welcome in Libya (a 2011 CBS News article), and the Jewish people in North Africa. I know these just touch on the subject, so if you have any great resources, feel free to link to them in the comments section.
Boulou Bread Recipe
Boulou is an enriched Challah-style bread studded with fruit, nuts and seeds, and scented with orange and anise.
by
Prep Time: 2 to 2.5 hours (largely unattended)
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
Keywords: bake bread dairy-free soy-free vegetarian apricots almonds anise orange Jewish Libyan
Ingredients (1 loaf)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk (save white for egg wash), at room temperature
- finely grated zest of one orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water, optional
- 520 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise or bread machine yeast
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots tossed with 1 teaspoon flour
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds + extra for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon anise seeds
- 1 egg white
Instructions
Add ingredients to the pan of a bread machine in the order listed, stopping at the yeast. Select the dough cycle and press start. When 5 minutes remain in the kneading portion of the dough cycle, add the almonds, apricots, sesame seeds, and anise seeds to the machine (dough should be tacky to lightly sticky). Allow machine to finish kneading and rising.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a squat oval, tucking the ends under. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, or until puffed (it won't double in size).
Preheat oven to 350° F during last 15 minutes of rise time.
Brush the egg white over the dough and sprinkle with a light smattering of sesame seeds. Use a serrated knife or lame to make three diagonal slashes across the top of the loaf.
Slide baking sheet into hot oven and bake for 40-45 minutes (or until it registers at least 190° F on an instant read thermometer), tenting with foil during the last 15 minutes if it's getting too dark. Transfer loaves to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
-inspired by and adapted from Jewish Food Experience
Our host this month is Karen from Karen's Kitchen Stories, and our theme is Jewish Breads. For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month's mouthwatering selection of #TwelveLoaves enter last month's "A Little Something Sweet" Breads!
- Bialys from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Boulou from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
- Challah Braid from The Redhead Baker
- Land of Milk and Honey Muffins from NinjaBaker.com
- Marble Rye Bread from The Bread She Bakes
- Montreal Bagels from Cheap Ethnic Eatz
- Passover Popovers from Hostess At Heart
- Pletlz - Jewish Onion Bread from A Shaggy Dough Story
If you'd like to bake along with us this month, share your Jewish bread using hashtag #TwelveLoaves!
