Krachel, or Moroccan Brioche, is a sweetened roll made with anise, fennel, and sesame seeds! They are flavored with orange blossom and baked until soft, fluffy, and golden brown! These delicious treats make one of the best Moroccan breakfast and tea-time snacks! My Moroccan brioche recipe (krachel) is incredibly easy to make — It doesn’t require fancy ingredients and will make your house smell amazing! Yum!
My favorite Moroccan Snack!
The Krachel are one of my favorite childhood snacks! My dad and I used to buy these from the medieval town of Fez (Medina) and Snack on them while walking the ancient labyrinth of narrow alleys and passageways! The smell of these brioches brings back happy memories: old stone buildings, donkey carts pulling merchandise, and merchants yelling “Balak, Balak” (meaning careful, a donkey is approaching). These gems are an absolute favorite in our house — we love eating them for breakfast and Moroccan mint tea.
Secrets to Successful Krachel!
There are a few important keys to successful Krachel:
- First of all, allow a couple of hours for rising time! Knead your dough until smooth and malleable, cover it with a cling film, and allow it to rest for one hour before forming dough balls. Next, let the dough balls rest before flattening them. Finally, cover your dough with a towel and allow it to rest an additional hour before baking your rolls!
- Second, whole milk is another key that’s too important to skip! This secret ingredient gives the Krachel a soft, fluffy, and beautiful texture. However, please ensure the milk is lukewarm (around 43 C); otherwise, it may kill your yeast.
- Third, the seeds are vital for this recipe as they give the Krachel their unique, iconic flavor! You may use fennel and sesame seeds only, anise and sesame seeds, or a combination of all three. As a side note, these same healthy seeds are also used to make the famous Moroccan Biscotti (Faqqas) and the delicious energy treat (Sellou).
- Last but not least, orange blossom takes the krachel to another level, making them 100% authentic and 200% MORE delicious! If you’re unfamiliar with orange blossom water, here is where you can find it online, but you may also find it at your local Moroccan or Middle Eastern store.
Serving Moroccan Brioche (Krachel)
I love serving Krachel while still warm or at room temperature with a cup of fresh Moroccan mint tea! In Morocco, it’s common to serve these delicious brioches as an afternoon snack, pairing them with butter, honey, jam, or chocolate spread. My personal favorite is plain brioches, for they taste divine just by themselves! Bessaha!
Moroccan Brioche Recipe (Krachel)
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (plus 2-3 Tbsp if the dough is too sticky)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp anise seeds (toasted then cooled)
- 1 Tbsp fennel seeds (toasted then cooled)
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds (toasted then cooled)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar (1 pack, optional)
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 3 Tbsp softened unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 Tbsp orange blossom water
Egg Wash Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- To bring out their flavor, toast the seeds in a pan set over low heat for a few minutes. Set the seeds aside until they've completely cooled down.
- Whisk together all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs and orange blossom water, and mix with a spatula. Next, add the softened butter to the lukewarm milk and whisk until the butter is melted (about 30 seconds). Finally, mix the milk mixture with the spatula until it's all combined.
- Knead your dough using a stand mixer until smooth and malleable (It took me 5 minutes on a medium setting). Add 1 to 3 tablespoons of flour if your dough is too sticky. Cover with a cling film and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes.
- Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut your dough into 12 separate sections. Make 12 perfectly round balls, and transfer them to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the dough balls rest for 15-20 minutes. Next, flatten the balls with the palm of your hands, and cover the tray with a towel. Let your dough rest for 60-90 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Meanwhile, make the egg wash by mixing the egg yolks with milk. Brush the top and sides of each ball (all around), and sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top. You won’t need the whole amount of egg wash.
- Bake in the middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until the top turns golden caramel. Et voila! Mine took 17-18 minutes.
- Enjoy your Krachel warm or room temperature, and pair with a cup of fresh Moroccan mint tea or a glass of milk.
Notes
- Alternatively, you may knead your dough using your hands only by following the same steps. Your dough is ready when it bounces back when poked with a finger.
- You may use anise and sesame seeds, fennel and sesame seeds, or a combination of all three. All versions taste fantastic.
- These brioches taste amazing, but you may also spread them with butter, honey, or both!
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them for three months. To reheat your brioches, put them in a 350 F preheated oven for 7-12 minutes.
Looking for more Moroccan breakfast ideas? Look no more. Here is a delicious melt-in-your-mouth Moroccan pancake recipe!
Did you make these Moroccan Brioches? Tag @petitapron on Instagram and show us how they turned out for you!
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