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    Home » Moroccan » Moroccan Krachel (Brioche Sweet Rolls)

    Moroccan Krachel (Brioche Sweet Rolls)

    Dec 4, 2022 / by Salima Benkhalti / Leave a comment

    2 shares
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    krachel in a bowl

    Today we are making Krachel, also known as Moroccan sweet rolls. This brioche style bread pulls Moroccan flavor from anise seeds, orange blossom water, and a sesame seed topping. These rolls are traditionally served with Moroccan mint tea and make a delicious breakfast, snack or side.

    krachel in a bowl

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    Many Moroccan recipes are usually accompanied by bread of some sort, whether it's these delicious sweet rolls or the more commonly found, flatter bread, aka khobz.

    Both kinds of bread are perfect for scooping up all of the delicious sauces, meat, and veggies in traditional Moroccan tagines and salads.

    Grocery List

    Here is what you will need to make krachel:

    • warm milk
    • active dry yeast
    • white granulated sugar
    • eggs for the dough + egg wash
    • butter, melted
    • orange blossom water
    • anise seeds
    • toasted sesame seeds
    • all purpose flour
    • salt

    See recipe card for quantities.

    ingredients to make krachel

    How to Make Moroccan Sweet Rolls

    yeast blooming in a bowl

    Bloom the yeast. Warm the milk in a saucepan or microwave. Combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir gently. Bloom for 5 minutes.

    krachel dough on a counter

    Make the dough. Add the egg, melted butter, orange blossom water, anise seeds, sesame seeds, flour, and salt. Knead until the dough becomes consistent in texture throughout, around 10 minutes. 

    Tip: Using a stand mixer with a hook attachment will cut the knead time significantly.

    krachel dough rising

    Let the dough rise. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. 

    krachel dough rolled into balls

    Divide the dough and let rise again. Punch the dough down to release any bubbles then transfer to a clean surface. Divide the dough into eighths, roll each section into small balls and set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise another 30 minutes. 

    Did you know? Punching the dough down helps by releasing bubbles in the dough and by redistributing the yeast and sugar throughout the dough!

    krachel buns on a baking sheet

    Bake the krachel. Preheat the oven to 350. While the oven comes to temp, brush the rolls with a beaten egg. Sprinkle additional toasted sesame seeds on top and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. 

    krachel in a bowl

    Variations

    Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe

    • No sesame seeds - you can easily skip the sesame seeds in the dough and/or on top of the sweet rolls. While they definitely add that Moroccan flavor, the dough will still turn out great.
    • No anise seeds - I know anise seeds can be an acquired taste, so feel free to leave them out, or use fennel seeds or ground anise as a substitute if you're not into them.
    • Orange blossom water - I don't recommend skipping the orange blossom water as it lends a beautifully subtle sweet Moroccan flavor to these rolls, but again, they will turn out just fine without this ingredient. If you love this stuff like my family does, you can also add a teaspoon to your beaten egg and brush it on top of the rolls before baking.
    krachel buns in a bowl

    What to Eat with Krachel

    If you're familiar with Moroccan cuisine, you know that bread goes with pretty much every meal.

    This krachel is a wonderful pairing with many traditional dishes, but here are a few of my favorite recipes to pair it with:

    • Moroccan Mint Tea - Tea time is a lifestyle in our culture and it's almost always served with an assortment of pastries, bread, and cookies.
    • Horn de Gazelle (Almond Cookies) - Since we're on the topic of cookies... these traditional almond cookies make a delicious addition to that tea time spread.
    • With butter, jam, honey - Anything you like with brioche bread will pair beautifully with these Moroccan sweet rolls, the sky is the limit!
    • Chicken Tagine - It wouldn't be Moroccan bread without a tagine or two, and I really enjoy using this sweeter, brioche style bread with a savory meal to scoop up all of the sauce.

    Equipment

    While you don't need a stand mixer to make this recipe, it certainly will help cut the knead time in half. Just make sure to use the hook attachment on a slow setting.

    I like to get a good arm work out in (plus I'm cheap and don't have room in my kitchen for another kitchen appliance) and find kneading dough to be surprisingly therapeutic.

    krachel on a counter

    Storage

    These rolls keep great in a bread basket or in the fridge for up to 1 week. They also freeze and thaw out really well when kept in an air tight bag.

    Bismillah,

    the name Salima
    Print

    Moroccan Krachel (Brioche Sweet Rolls)

    krachel in a bowl
    Print Recipe

    Today we are making Krachel, also known as Moroccan sweet rolls. This brioche style bread pulls Moroccan flavor from anise seeds, orange blossom water, and a sesame seed topping. These rolls are traditionally served with Moroccan mint tea and make a delicious breakfast, snack or side.

    • Author: Salima Benkhalti
    • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Total Time: 2 hours
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Category: side dish, snack, appetizer, bread
    • Method: Baked
    • Cuisine: Moroccan
    • Diet: Vegetarian

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 cup warm milk
    • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
    • ½ cup white granulated sugar
    • 1 egg for the dough + 1 egg for the egg wash
    • ¼ cup butter, melted
    • 2 tbsp orange blossom water
    • 1 tbsp anise seeds
    • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
    • 4 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tsp salt

    Instructions

    1. Bloom the yeast. Warm the milk in a saucepan or microwave. Combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir gently. Bloom for 5 minutes.yeast blooming
    2. Make the dough. Add the egg, melted butter, orange blossom water, anise seeds, sesame seeds, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix well before transferring to a flower dusted surface and knead until the dough becomes consistent in texture throughout, around 10 minutes.wet ingredients in a bowl
    3. Let the dough rise. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.krachel dough rising in a bowl
    4. Divide the dough and let rise again. Punch the dough down to release any bubbles and transfer to a clean surface. Divide the dough into eighths, roll each section into small balls and set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise another 30 minutes.krachel buns on a baking sheet
    5. Bake the krachel. Preheat the oven to 350. While the oven comes to temp, brush the rolls with a beaten egg. Sprinkle additional toasted sesame seeds on top and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.krachel buns on a baking sheet

    Keywords: Krachel, Moroccan Sweet Rolls

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