Cocoles de Anis (anise bread)

These cocoles de anise are a perfect treat to enjoy with your morning coffee! A soft, pillowy, anise bread from Mexico. They are pure comfort food and super easy to make at home.

this recipe

Cocoles de anís are a type of sweet bread popular in Mexico that belongs to the category of pan dulce. This rhombus-shaped bread is prepared with a dough made from wheat flour, flavored with anise seeds, and sweetened with piloncillo.

At my home, like in many Mexican homes, cocoles are usually enjoyed for breakfast with cafe de olla or hot chocolate, or in the afternoon as a sweet treat opened and spread with nata…yum!

I am sharing with you my easy recipe to make this delicious anise bread at home. I also included many step-by-step photos of the entire process so it will be easier for you to follow it.

Ingredients

• Flour —use all-purpose flour.
• Yeast —used instant dry yeast.
• Piloncillo + white sugar —I used ground piloncillo, but it can be substituted with regular piloncillo, you just need to grate it so it will incorporate nicely into the dough.
• Lard —or substitute with butter or shortening.
• Anise seeds —use powdered anise or a mortar to grind the seeds.
• Cinnamon —powdered.
• Water —lukewarm.
• Salt —table salt.
• Egg wash —made from one small egg + 1 tablespoon of water.
• Sesame seeds —for decoration.

How to Make Cocoles de Anís

Place flour, piloncillo, sugar, yeast, ground anise, powdered cinnamon, and salt into a stand mixer bowl. Mix to combine. Add lard and water, and knead until you’ll have a smooth and elastic dough.

Tip: The dough should be a little bit sticky, you can add 2-3 more tablespoons of flour but not more or your bread will become too dry after baking.

Make a ball with the dough and place it in a greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm environment until almost doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Lightly flour a working surface and transfer the dough there. Divide the dough into 10 pieces.

Shape each piece into a ball, then roll each ball forth and back while lightly pressing the outer edges to form a sort of sausage with pointed ends.

Flatten the dough first with your hands, then use a rolling pin to roll it and give it a diamond shape.

Place the cocol on a greased baking sheet and repeat until you use all the dough.

Tip: Use two baking sheets so the pieces are at least 2 inches apart from each other and won’t stick.

Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm environment to rest for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 360°F/180°C.

Combine the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush each cocol roll with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely golden brown. If you want to bake the two trays, make sure to rotate them after 10 minutes, moving each sheet from bottom to top.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then transfer the cocoles to a cooling rack and let them sit until cool down completely.

Tips & Tricks

• I strongly recommend using a kitchen scale if you want to achieve consistent results on this anise bread recipe.
• Knead the dough thoroughly until nicely smooth and elastic. This helps develop the gluten, which contributes to the bread’s structure and texture.
• Don’t feel tempted to add more than 3 extra tablespoons of flour than the recipe calls. The dough should be slightly sticky. Give it time to rest and it will develop the gluten and become less sticky.
• Preheat your oven to ensure even cooking and browning.

Storing This Sweet Anise Bread

Cocoles last up to 4-5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I recommend leaving the container in your pantry or in a place away from sunlight.

You can also freeze this sweet anise bread for up to 2-3 months. I usually do it by wrapping each cocol with plastic wrap and then placing all pieces in a resealable bag.

When I want to enjoy them again, I just thaw them overnight at room temperature and give them a quick warm-up in the oven.

They make an awesome breakfast if you cut them in half, toast them, and spread them with cajeta or jam!

What is The Origin of Cocoles?

The origin of the cocol bread dates back to the time of the conquest because the idea of baking bread came with the Spaniards. Thus, the inhabitants of the Valley of Mexico learned to prepare it and adapted the recipe to local ingredients.

The cocol is one of the most traditional breads in central Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl word cocolli, which means golpe (blow or hit). It’s easily recognizable by its dark color and rhombus shape.

This rhombus-shaped bread may include sesame seeds, although it is quite common to find it without them. It is prepared with anise seeds and dough made from wheat flour sweetened with piloncillo.

More Mexican Bread Recipes

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