Krachel (Moroccan Sweet Breads)

Ingredients

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

2 Tablespoons of sesame seeds

1 Tablespoon of anise seeds

1 1/2 Tablespoon of dry yeast

1/4 cup of milk

3 Tablespoons of butter

2 eggs

A pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon of orange blossom water

Directions

Dilute the dry yeast with some warm water.

Mix all the dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, sesame seeds, anise seeds, and pinch of salt.

Add the rest to the ingredients to the dry mixture: milk, melted butter, orange blossom water, dry yeast, and 1 egg.

Mix all the ingredients very well and start kneading the dough.

NOTE - If you are kneading the dough manually, sprinkle flour on your work station and knead the dough with your first in quick strokes for 10 minutes.

Note: keep adding flour little by little until the dough is not sticky anymore and the result is a soft and malleable dough. If you are kneading the dough with a kneading machine, knead the dough automatically for 5 minutes. Then sprinkle flour on your work station and knead it manually for 1-2 minutes while sprinkling flour until it is not sticky anymore.

Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.

After one hour, make small balls with the dough (the size of a large egg) and flatten them a little bit. Place the dough balls in a baking pan covered with parchment paper.

Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest in a warm place for another 1 hour.

The last step before baking the breads is to brush their surface with the second egg and decorate them with sesame seeds.

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and bake the breads for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.