These tall buns packed shoulder to shoulder are made with mos (English = grape must). Mosbolletjies were introduced by the French Huguenots who settled in the Franschhoek district in 1688.
During the wine making season in the Cape, they used the mos to leaven dough. When fresh grapes were out of season, raisins were used instead. Nowadays yeast is also sometimes used with raisins.
When making mosbolletjies, ensure the small balls of dough are packed closely together in a deep, greased loaf tin so that they rise upwards and not outwards. After baking, mosbolletjies are eaten fresh, spread with butter or they can be dried to make mosbeskuit (English = must rusks), which are excellent served with coffee.
Raisin Mos
Finely chop or mince 150 ml raisins and place in a jar with 500 ml water. Cover, stand in a warm place and allow to ferment. This should take about 3–4 days, by which time the raisins will float on top. Strain and use for mosbolletjies.
Mosbeskuit
Allow mosbolletjies to cool. Break apart, do not cut with a knife. Arrange on a wire rack and leave overnight in a cool oven, 100°C (212°F) or a warming oven. Rusks should be light, pale yellow and completely dried out.
Category: South African Cuisine
Subcategory: Traditional
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