Make Bossche bollen yourself, this is how you do it

Heel Holland Bakt winner Rutger van den Broek continues to bake happily. Not only Dutch pastries, such as these Bossche bollen, but also treats from all over the world. From Indonesian pandan cake to Austrian Apfelstrudel; in his new book De Bakatlas, he shows you how diverse baking is in different countries and how you can do it yourself at home.

Rutger: “These delicious choux buns can be found at almost every bakery south of the rivers! It is always a challenge to eat them neatly. Although many people say you should simply pick it up with your hands. A knife and fork with a Bossche bol are mainly intended for tourists who still want to try to eat it neatly. The official recipe is of course a secret, but with this version you can make delicious chocolate buns that come very close!”

How to make Bossche bollen

• Preheat the oven to 210 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Put the water, butter and salt in a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Make sure the butter has melted when the mixture boils. As soon as the mixture boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir the mixture immediately until all the flour has been incorporated. Return the pan to medium heat and continue stirring well for 2–3 minutes. The mixture will make a light sizzling sound, form a ball and start to stick slightly to the bottom.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl and stir it loose briefly. Add the eggs one at a time. After each egg, mix the dough well until the entire egg has been incorporated, and only then add the next egg. Only use the last egg if it does not make the dough too thin. You can also use half a beaten egg. The dough should be smooth and supple, so that it runs from your spatula in a V-shape. But be careful not to make it too thin, as it will spread out completely when you pipe it onto the baking paper.
• Put the choux pastry in a piping bag with a smooth 1⁄2-centimeter nozzle and pipe balls approximately 2–3 centimeters high and 5 centimeters in diameter onto the baking paper. You can also do this with an (ice cream) scoop. Flatten any peaks with a wet finger and bake the choux buns for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Briefly open the oven door 5 minutes before the end of the baking time to let the steam created during baking escape. Make sure the choux buns are golden brown all over, otherwise they will collapse while cooling.
• Put the whipping cream, sugar and whipping cream stabilizer in a bowl and beat until stiff with a (hand) mixer fitted with beaters. Using a small knife, make a 1-centimeter hole in the bottom of each choux bun. Put the whipped cream in a piping bag with a smooth 1-centimeter nozzle and use it to fill each Bossche bol.
• For the chocolate glaze, mix the sugar with the cocoa powder in a saucepan. Add the water and bring everything to the boil. Let the sugar syrup boil for 1⁄2 minute, then remove the pan from the heat. Let the syrup cool for approximately 4–5 minutes. Add the dark chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted. Pour the chocolate glaze into a bowl large enough to dip a choux bun into.
• Hold a choux bun by the bottom and dip it into the glaze, so that the top and sides are covered. Shake off the excess glaze. Repeat with all the choux buns, then place them in the refrigerator so that the glaze can set.

Title: De Bakatlas
Author: Rutger van den Broek
Price: €35
Publisher: Carrera Culinair

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• Here you can eat the tastiest Bossche bol in the Netherlands
• Moorkop vs. Bossche bol
• Be the first to taste the vegan Bossche bol