Zeeuwse bolussen, or Zeeland rolls, are a traditional Dutch pastry. They are airy, soft, a little sticky, deliciously sweet and with a generous pinch of cinnamon and cardamom. You could say they are the Dutch version of cinnamon rolls. Homemade, and especially when they are still a little warm, they are incredibly delicious!
Delicacies from Zeeland
In case you are not familiar with this delicacy. Zeeuwse bolussen are sweet, sugared rolls that originated in the Dutch province of Zeeland. But did you know that the roots of these iconic sweet treats lie in the Jewish community of Spain and Portugal?
In fact, the bolus is considered to be of Jewish origin worldwide. It is often Jewish bakers who make them and sell them in New York delis, for example. They are just as syrupy and delicate as those made by our Zeeland bakers, but sweeter and up to twice as big. Their flavor kind of reminds me of snickerdoodles, which are also very delicious and easy to make!
Dutch classics
As a Dutchie myself, I love to share traditional Dutch recipes with the world. You might’ve already seen my recipe for bitterballen. Dutch cuisine is basically a melting pot of the Mediterranean, British and French cuisines. Through the many years there are some foods that have become true Dutch classics, such as these Zeeuwse bolussen. So, if you like to try something new that feels familiar. this is a recipe for you!
How to make Zeeuwse bolussen
This Zeeuwse bolus recipe was on top of my list of “homemade Dutch classics”, to share with you. So so today I finally am. It’s really not difficult at all, but it is a bit of a sticky task . The dough has a two rises and gets nice and fluffy before rolling them in sugar, hence the stickiness…
The dough is then divided and rolled into individual ropes. You press the cinnamon-sugar into the dough while rolling and folding them into their iconic shape. The Zeeuwse bolussen don’t take long to bake, enjoy them with a nice cup of coffee or tea while they’re still hot!
Ingredients
- 7 grams dried yeast
- 200 ml milk (lukewarm)
- 25 grams sugar
- 400 grams flour
- 1 egg (medium – room temperature)
- 75 grams butter (unsalted – room temperature)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon (+ 1 tsp)
- 1 tbsp cardamom
- 75 grams light brown sugar
- 250 grams dark brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS (how to make this recipe):
- Place the dried yeast, milk and sugar in the bowl of your food processor. Mix and let stand for a few minutes until it begins to foam.
- Then add the flour, egg, butter, salt, 1 tsp of cinnamon and cardamom and process until smooth.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl and let it rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Mix the caster sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, pour over the dough and roll it in.
- Form 10 equal balls (about 75 grams each) and let them “sweat” for a while. The sugar will dissolve a little. When you roll them again later, the rest of the dough will absorb the sugar better.
- Then roll the ball into a strand about 35-40 centimeters long while rolling through the powdered sugar.
- Fold the strand around one end and tuck the other end under the bolus. Push something between the roll to secure the end.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let them rise for ½-1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius/480 Fahrenheit top and bottom heat
- Bake the Zeeland Boluses for about 8 minutes until done. Be careful – if you bake them too long, they will get dry and you will want something sticky 😉 .
- Let them cool out of the oven for 1 minute, then turn them over and let them cool further (on a wire rack if necessary). Enjoy!
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