Yeast dough balls-Bouldou

The Yeast Dough Balls– Bouldou-are spongy, deep-fried, spherical sweet snacks made from yeast dough. They are dangerously delicious and addictive.

Bouldou derives from the French ‘boule douce’ which literally means ‘sweet balls’, which is how this snack looks and tastes like.

Bouldou is really delicious, although it is not the healthiest of snacks.  It is made from yeast dough, shaped into balls and deep-fried until golden brown and has a doughnut-like texture but slightly chewier. It was a common snack sold in most village shops on most of the islands in the Seychelles, but is, unfortunately, not seen as much these days.

Possible origin of the Yeast Dough Balls- Bouldou

The bouldou is closely related to the French ‘beignets’. It may have been introduced to the Seychelles, through Réunion Island, from West Africa where many of the slaves who arrived in Seychelles came from. I say this because, bouldou is similar to a snack found in Réunion Island called ‘ beignets de farine’  and which is also very popular in the West African region. It is called ‘puff puff’ in Cameroon and Nigeria. The Ghanaians make something similar called ‘Bofrot’ or ‘Togbei’. The Liberians equally eat a form of bouldou called ‘Kala’ and the Congolese call it ‘Mikate’.

Bouldou versus Kwever

The word bouldou was, until around the early 1980s, also used to mean sweetheart or boy/girl friend. This term is now not used anymore and has given way to another word ‘Kwever’. I have no idea how the word ‘kwever’ came about. Any contribution here would be greatly appreciated.

The shape and texture of the Bouldou

The perfect bouldou is round should have a golden brown exterior and an airy interior. It should not be too thick and dense on the inside. You achieve the perfect interior by using the right ratio of flour to milk and yeast. Bouldou should be slightly sweet, almost a bread-like kind of sweetness.

Boulfor

Boulfor (fr. boule forte) is the savoury version of the bouldou. If you wish to cook the boulfor use the same recipe and eliminate the sugar and increase the salt to two teaspoons. You may also choose to eliminate the nutmeg and add some finely chopped onions and chilli or any other spices of your choice.

Preparing the Yeast Dough Balls–Bouldou

Step 1

The first step is to cut butter in small pieces and place in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds until mostly melted (a few lumps are fine) and set aside. Microwave the wholemilk in a microwave-safe mug or measuring cup for 15 seconds until warm but not hot (about 35°C).

Step 2

The second step is to transfer the warm milk into a large bowl and whisk in the sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the milk and set aside for 10 minutes. The yeast should start to get bubbly and look like foam. (If it does not, get new yeast and start over.)

Step 3

The third step is to pour the cooled butter into the milk mixture and add the egg. Whisk to combine and break up the eggs.

Step 4

The fourth step is to place your flour in a medium size bowl add the salt and mix. Add the wet mixture to the flour, then add the vanilla essence and nutmeg and use a wooden spoon to mix all together until a sticky dough forms. The dough will be very tacky and messy to work with. You may be tempted at this stage to add some more flour. Please do not. Oil your working top and transfer the dough onto it. Oil your hands as well and knead the dough until it becomes smooth, elastic and less tacky, about 10-15 minutes. Because the dough is very tacky, you may have to use your fingers to knead it and a dough cutter to assist in lifting the dough from the working top whenever you feel you need to turn it over. Persevere with this step.

Step 5

The fifth step is to form the dough into a rough ball and transfer it in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover it  with a clean tea towel and place in a warm spot in your home and allow it to prove at room temperature for about two hours.

Step 6

The sixth step is to form the bouldou. Transfer the dough onto a working top. It will now feel less tacky. Pat it down. This step helps remove some of the gas bubbles formed by the yeast during the rising process.

 Break small pieces of approximately 30 grams from the dough and roll each piece, in the palm of your hands, into rough small balls. Do not press to hard, or you will deflate the dough too much and ensure that the surface of the balls are very smooth. Keep to the 30 gram because if you make them any bigger it will make your bouldou too big  bearing in mind that the  bouldou will expand during second proofing and also during frying.

Place the balls on a baking tray lined with grease proof paper. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until puffy, at least 30 minutes.

Step 7

The last step is to fry the bouldou. Pour oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot or a wok. You have to have enough oil so that the bouldou can float freely. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches approximately 170°C. Use a flat spatula and transfer the balls into the oil. If the balls stick to your greaseproof paper when you try to lift them to fry, you may decide to cut the grease proof paper in strips and lift a strip with the balls one at a time  and slide both the balls and the paper into the hot oil, and then remove the paper with a pair of tongs. That way the bouldou will hold its shape. I have found out that trying to move them by holding them might deflate them before they hit the oil.

Fry the bouldou for 45 seconds on each side, or until puffed and golden brown.  Turn them over a few times to ensure even colour. You may have to adjust the heat if the temperature rises too high.

Using a slotted metal spoon, remove them from the hot oil and in order to drain any excess oil, immediately place them onto a paper towel.

Allow them to cool. They can be eaten as is, or you can also dust them with some sugar for a sweeter treat.

Here is the Recipe for Yeast Dough Balls– Bouldou

Did you make this recipe?

I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.

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