Boulou Sweet French Tunisian Rolls Recipes

BOULOU ( SWEET FRENCH TUNISIAN ROLLS)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and one-fourth cup warm water. Set aside until the yeast begins to foam, 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs, oil, rosewater or orange flower water, vanilla, remaining three-fourths cup warm water and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, place 41/2 cups (19.1 ounces) flour, sugar, fennel seeds, 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, raisins and grated peel. Mix briefly to combine. Make a well in the middle and add the yeast and egg mixtures. Mix on medium-low speed, adding the remaining flour as necessary, and mixing until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The dough should still be slightly sticky. (The dough can also be mixed by hand; combine the ingredients and mix as listed above until the dough comes together, then knead; the dough will require additional kneading time.).
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 5 minutes; the dough will be ready when it springs back quickly when poked. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 11/2 hours.
• While the dough is rising, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Punch down the dough and set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Divide the dough into 12 to 14 pieces, and roll each piece between the palms of the hand into smooth ovals about 3 inches long. Place the ovals onto the lined sheet leaving 11/2 to 2 inches between each (if your baking sheet is small, you may need to use 2).
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg yolk with the honey, and brush this over each of the ovals. Sprinkle over the remaining sesame seeds and nigella (or black sesame seeds). Cover the ovals loosely with a piece of plastic wrap and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to rise, then bake until golden-brown, about 25 minutes.

THE BEST SWEET YEAST ROLL DOUGH I HAVE EVER FOUND

Steps:

• 1. Scald milk (bring just to a boil and remove from heat immediately).
• 2. Stir in sugar, salt, and butter. Set aside and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• 3. In a large bowl mix warm water and yeast. Stir until dissolved.
• 4. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture.
• 5. Add beaten eggs.
• 6. Stir in half the flour. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour gradually, mixing as you go. You may need a bit more or less than the total 4 1/2 cups called for in the recipe, depending on the humidity and other factors.
• 7. Your dough should be elastic and slightly stiff but not dry.
• 8. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and very elastic. This usually takes 8-10 minutes.
• 9. Butter the inside of a large mixing bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn dough over a couple of times to coat it all with the butter.
• 10. Cover bowl and place in a warm place so it can rise.
• 11. It will take about 1 hour to double in bulk.
• 12. At that time punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board to shape.
• 13. At this point, you can shape and fill as desired. To make dinner rolls, pinch off about 2-3 tablespoons of dough and shape into a ball. Place each one in a buttered muffin tin or baking pan, barely touching each other, do not crowd rolls.
• 14. Cover prepared rolls and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, again about 1 hour.
• 15. Rolls should now touch each other. (A little more rising will occur during baking.)
• 16. Preheat oven to 350 degrees when rolls are about 10 minutes from being ready for baking. When ready to bake place rolls in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. They should be browned nicely and smell so good and yeasty!
• 17. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter immediately when removed from the oven.
• 18. Allow rolls to sit for at least 10-15 minutes before eating.

GRAMMA'S OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup, heat milk/water to "wrist-warm" (do NOT boil; just warm).
• Add yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (you'll use the rest in the next step). Stir the yeast and sugar; let this "work" for about 5 or 10 minutes. You should have some bubbly, frothy stuff in the cup when you return. (If not--your yeast is no good, dump it out and get better yeast.).
• Pour yeast-milk into mixing bowl, and add remaining sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Using beater, mix this mess for about a minute.
• Switch to the paddle (flat beater) or a dough hook, and add remaining flour one cup-at-a-time. The dough will form a ball, and feel slightly sticky. You may not need the entire 5 1/2 cups (depends on humidity, too).
• Fill medium glass bowl with hottest tap water. If your oven can be adjusted to 100 degrees, set it to 100 degrees. Also, if your oven has a light, turn it on; place the hot water on the bottom of the oven. Close the door.
• Grease a large, glass bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl to a floured table/counter-top; knead for 1 minute; form into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning to get grease on all sides. Cover bowl loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Turn off 100 degree oven, place bowl of dough into oven; close the door. Set the timer for 1 hour.
• Clean up the mess BUT leave floured counter-top AS IS.
• At the end of one hour the dough should've risen to about double the size. If not, let it go for another 15 minutes (set the timer--it's easy to forget---out of sight, out of mind!).
• Gather filling ingredients: 1/4 cup of melted butter; cinnamon; brown sugar; raisins and/or chopped nuts (optional).
• Punch down the down; remove from bowl; with a large butcher knife, cut dough into two equal parts. Set one aside (cover with plastic wrap).
• Grease two 13x9-inch pans with BUTTER (no substitutes are allowed -- this is GRAMMA's recipe). :-) humor me, okay?.
• On floured counter-top, lay dough and with a rolling pin, shape & roll into large rectangle, oh about 8 x 16 inches or a bit larger, keep thickness consistent throughout.
• Pour HALF of the melted butter over this, and spread with a pastry brush, right out to the edges. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (like 1-2 tablespoons), then a handful of brown sugar, spreading it evenly with fingers; right to the edges!
• Sprinkle some raisins and chopped nuts -- if using. Keep these closer to the long side closest to you.
• HERE's THE HARD PART: Starting at the side closest to you, LOOSELY roll away from you. Loosely is the KEY word. Tuck in any runaway raisins or nuts.
• Use that big knife to divide the roll in half in the middle. Then cut each half into SIX equal portions, for a total of 12 rolls.
• Starting in the middle of the roll (nicest shaped rolls) and working to the sloppy outside roll piecs, set them along the outside edges of the buttered pan, spacing evenly in the pan. Put the two end rolls in the very center of the pan. Set the cut side DOWN (so the top looks flat-ish). Set this pan on the stove for now.
• Repeat with remaining dough; vary the ingredients -- if you skipped raisins or nuts, maybe add some to this pan of rolls.
• Check if the water in the oven is still warm, if not dump out and start with fresh hot water. Put plastic wrap on both pans (re-use the other piece), and pop in the warm oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Go do something productive---clean the counter-top before all that stuff gets hard! :-D.
• When the rolls have risen to the top of the pan (or a smidgen over), remove them from the oven, preheat oven to 350. When it's warm bake them for 20 minutes; tops will be golden brown.
• Cool on a rack; then frost with a cream cheese/butter cream frosting (slather it on thick like Gramma does for the grandkids!).
• You have JUST entered the Pearly Gates!