Shared by Lisa and Vivienne Capelouto
Shared by Lisa and Vivienne Capelouto
Orange Blossom Roskas
Yield: 20 servingsTime: 1½ hours, plus proofing
Orange Blossom Roskas
Yield: 20 servingsTime: 1½ hours, plus proofingFamily Journey
SpainRhodes, GreeceSalisbury, Rhodesia (present-day Harare, Zimbabwe)
Tel AvivCape Town, South AfricaNew York City
In Ladino, the language spoken by Jews exiled from Spain, roska means round. These round challah-like rolls, or roskas, are flavored with orange blossom water and are a Capelouto family favorite, freshly baked by Vivienne for Shabbat morning desayuno. The rolls are soft and sweet, often served with feta cheese, black olives, and coffee. If you don’t have orange blossom water, you can use the zest of half an orange.
Read more about Vivienne Capelouto and her daughter Lisa’s family in “How Zoom Helped Preserve a Sephardi Baking Tradition” and get the recipes for her spinach and feta boyos and eggplant pastelikos.
Ingredients
For the yeast starter:
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¾ cups warm water (115F)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
For the dough:
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
- 1 cup warm water (115F)
- 8 cups all-purpose flour
For the egg wash:
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- Sesame seeds, for topping
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the starter: Mix together yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let stand at room temperature until frothy, about 5-10 minutes.
Step 2
In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the oil, prepared yeast starter, orange blossom water, and water and mix together.
Step 3
Switch to the dough hook and mix in the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, around 4 minutes. Remove the dough onto a work surface and continue to knead by hand until a smooth dough is reached, 7-8 minutes.
Step 4
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size. Remove the dough from the bowl and punch it down to get rid of air pockets.
Step 5
Divide into 20 equal sized balls, around the size of golf balls. Using flour as needed, roll each ball into a strand and shape each individual strand into a mini, knotted challah roll. Continue until all the rolls are shaped. Place the shaped rolls onto two parchment paper lined baking sheets, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for about an hour, until doubled in size..
Step 6
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F°. When fully proofed, brush the rolls with egg wash, then sprinkle with sesame seeds generously.
Step 7
Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, placing the trays on the middle and upper racks of the oven. Rotate the trays between the racks and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
