You won't be able to resist these sweet little breads when they are fresh from the oven. Flavored with aniseed, they are rolled into olive-like spirals and baked. Serve them with a meal, or as a midmorning snack with coffee.
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons aniseed
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening or butter
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Preparation:
- Place aniseed in a pot with the water and bring to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let cool to lukewarm.
- Add the yeast, aniseed water (including the seeds), and sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer. Let rest 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, the vegetable shortening, and the salt and mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment until well blended.
- Slowly add the bread flour and continue to knead. Knead dough for about 5 minutes, (you can also knead it by hand) until it is smooth and elastic and pulls away smoothly from the sides of the bowl. Add a couple more tablespoons flour if the dough seems to sticky.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise for one hour.
- Punch down dough and separate into golfball size pieces (about 35 grams). Roll each piece into a ball. Cover balls with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Flatten each ball into an slighly oval shape, about 3 inches wide and 4-5 inches long, using a rolling pin if necessary. Starting at one end of the oval, roll dough up into a spiral. Place seam side down on a baking sheet.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush tops and sides of rolls with egg mixture. Let rolls rise in a warm place for a half hour.
- Bake rolls for 12 - 25 minutes, until they are golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
