Libyan sweet rolls for Yom Kippur (bolo)

My friend Delphine Gamburg, a French-Israeli, remembers how as a young girl in Paris, her Algerian-born aunt would give her a boulou, a sweet roll filled with raisins and nuts, in a small bag to take to synagogue at the end of Yom Kippur. Delphine kept the boulou deep in the pocket of her coat, making sure it’s safe. As the shofar was blown, marking the end of the fast, the little hungry girl would take the first bite right there in the synagogue, savoring the sweetness of this simple treat. She still remembers well that sense of happiness and relief.

What do you eat to break the Yom Kippur fast? Most Jewish grandmothers agree, and dietitians do too, that it’s best to break a fast slowly, with just a sweet drink and a pastry. And only after a while eat a full meal.

Jewish grandmothers do as they say, and so Ashkenazi Jews break the fast with a cup of tea and lekach cake; Persian Jews make a quick faludeh drink out of grated apples, rose water and a bit of sugar, all covered with water and ice. Iraqi Jewish families would break the fast with a homemade almond or melon seed drink (pepitada,) served next to baba b’tamar, a date-filled cookie.

For Tunisian, Libyan and Algerian Jews it’s bolo (or bollo or boulou, depending on their origin,) a lightly sweetened roll or cookie dotted with raisins, fennel seed, sesame and sometimes nuts and nigella seeds. Libyan and Algerian Jews prepare their version using yeast, making their bolo more like bread. They shape it into an oval roll or small oval loaf that’s then sliced and served. The Tunisian version is made with baking powder and is more like a cookie. It is oval, and some make it as a loaf and slice it into cookies, similar to Mandelbrodt.

Bollo is a bun in Spanish and in Ladino, and indeed Sephardi communities around the world have dishes similar to this version from North Africa. Writer Edda Servi Michelin, in her book The Classic cuisine of the Italian Jews (Everst House, 1981,) describes how Jews in her little town of Pitigliano would serve il bollo to break the fast, next to some sweet vermouth. Her version of il bollo uses yeast, so it’s similar to the Libyan version, and is spiced with fennel seeds. It was likely brought to Italy with immigrants from Spain after the Inquisition.

When Little Delphine arrived back home, the family had more of the boulou with a cup of coffee. Then they’d take and break and later they would sit down for a meal of couscous with vegetables and chicken, just like other Jewish communities did at the same time around the world.

Libyan sweet rolls for Yom Kippur (bolo)

Recipe by Vered GuttmanCourse: Bread, cakes, rollsCuisine: Libyan, JewishDifficulty: Easy

Yields

12

rolls

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Rising time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Total time

2

hours 

15

minutes

Bolo are small rolls stuffed with raisins and nuts and seasoned with fennel seed and sesame seed. Libyan bolo (of the Jews of Tripoli) is challah-roll-like, and made with yeast, while Tunisian’s bolo is more like a biscotti, using baking powder instead of yeast. Both communities served bolo for break the fast after Yom Kippur.

I highly recommend using SAF Instant yeast (it’s available online and can keep for months in the fridge.)
When using instant yeast, you should skip the process of proofing the yeast.
If you’re using active dry yeast, start the recipe by proofing the yeast and continue as usual.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. All purpose flour

• 4 teaspoons yeast (see note above)

• ⅔ cup sugar

• 2 eggs at room temperature

• ¾ cup warm water

• ¼ cup corn, avocado, or mild olive oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoons salt

• ½ cup gold raisins, soaked in warm water and strained

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

• ¼ cup chopped or sliced almonds

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

• 1½ teaspoon fennel seeds

• Zest from one orange

• For the topping

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon water

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• 1 tablespoon sanding sugar or regular sugar

DIRECTIONS

• If you’re using DRY ACTIVE YEAST, skip to instruction number 3.
• If you’re using INSTANT YEAST, make the dough using a stand mixer with the dough hook. Put flour and yeast in the mixer’s bowl and mix with a fork. Add sugar, then turn mixer on medium-low speed and mix for a minute. Add eggs and water and continue to mix for about 2 minutes, until well incorporated. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the flour from the sides using a spatula and continue to mix. With mixer on medium-low, add oil, then the rest of the ingredients (including raisins, nuts and spices.) Knead for 8 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides as needed. Skip to instruction number 5.
• If you’re using DRY ACTIVE YEAST you need to proof it first. Put ¼ cup water, yeast and a teaspoon of sugar in a glass and stir briefly. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it visibly foams.
• 
Put flour in the bowl and make a well in the center. To the well add yeast mixture, ½ cup water, the rest of the sugar and eggs and mix for about 3 minutes on medium-low speed, until well incorporated. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the flour from the sides using a spatula and continue to mix. Add oil, then add rest of the ingredients (including raisins, nuts and spices.) Turn speed to medium-low and mix for 8 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides as needed. The dough is very soft, but don’t be tempted to add more flour into in.
• Remove bowl from stand mixer. Using a spatula, transfer dough into a lightly greased large bowl (I use PAM spray,) cover in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature, preferably in a warm space (near the oven, for example) until dough doubles its volume, about 1 to 1½ hours. Deflate the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise again for another hour, until it doubles its volume.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Transfer dough onto a lightly floured working surface and roll into a thick log. Use a dough cutter to cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a roll, then shape in into oval and put on the baking sheet. Keet 2 inches space between the roll, as they rise in the oven.
• Cover the baking sheet with plastic and let rolls rise for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix egg yolk and water and gently brush rolls. Sprinkle with sesame and sugar.
• Bake for 20-24 minutes or until rolls are baked through and golden.
• Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. The rolls will keep at room temperature in a cloth or paper bag up to 3 days.