Easy Koeksister Recipe a.k.a. Breadsisters (2024)

June 17, 2015 By Johlene Orton 18 Comments

Easy Koeksister Recipe

A fast way to makeKoeksisters. A traditional South African dessert recipe. In this recipe Iused bread instead of dough which is known as Breadsisters..

Traditional South African Recipes

As most of you guys know by now, I am a proud South African native althoughIhave been living in Spain for the last 7 years. If you read my about mepageyou´ll see how I boast about South African food and how I believe it´s simply the best food out there (I´m not biast at all *smile*).

I decided to share yet anotherone of my favorite South African recipes. Awhile ago, I shared a recipe called Malva Puddingon my blog. At that stage I was still taking photos with my digital camera, so forgive me for the quality of those photos! Don´t let that stop you to try the Malva Pudding recipe! My friend Jen, who lives in Canada makes it on a regular basis and she and her family loves it!

How are Koeksisters made?

Traditionally koeksisters are made with dough that is cut into 3 strips and braided into koeksisters. Then fried in hot oil until golden brown, quickly drained on paper towels and immediately dipped into ice cold sugar syrup.

The reason why you immediately dip the hot koeksisters into the ice cold sugar syrup is because the colder the syrup, the more of it will be soaked up by the warm koeksister (or breadsister in our case).

The perfect koeksister is crunchy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside! Words can´t explain how much I love these sweet treats! I mean just look at this photo below! I´m not lying am I? *smile*

Print
Easy Koeksister Recipe made with bread!

Yield: 30 fingers

See Also
King Arthur Flour Fudge Brownie Recipe - Barbara Bakes

Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
juice of half a lemon
10 thick slices of white or brown bread (without the crusts)
vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Heat the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed sauce pan until it reaches boiling point.
Boil for a further 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat (uncovered).
Remove from the heat.
Add the lemon juice and cool completely.
Once the syrup has cooled place the bowl in a larger bowl with ice water (the idea is to keep the syrup as cold as possible when dipping).
Heat the Oil over medium heat
Cut each slice of Bread into three equal size fingers.
Deep fry 3 to 4 bread fingers at a time, turning regularly. About 30 to 45 seconds per batch.
Remove the fried bread, using a slotted spoon, quickly place on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
Immediately dunk the fried bread fingers into the ice cold syrup for 5 seconds (make sure all is covered).
Repeat with all the bread fingers.
Chill until it´s time to serve them.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
These only get better with time, feel free to make a double batch! One batch wont last long wink
Notes
This recipe was adapted from With A Blast
https://johleneorton.com/easy-koeksister-recipe-a-k-a-breadsisters/

From Koeksister to Breadsister!

Now you´re probably wondering why I didn´t I make the “real deal”. Referring to the Koeksisters that are made with dough. Well to be honest, I didn´t feel like the hassle. I´ve made them before and they take up so much time! These Breadsisters are a very close second and they taste sooooo good!

I used to eat them often as a child becausemy aunt used to make them for special occasions. I remember eyeying the table to see how many were left.. thinking that I needed to eatat least one more before they were all gone. They were gone really quick!

Tip:Make two batches as these store really well and before you know it the first batch will be finished!

Photo Shoot and Styling Tips

I thought I´d share a few tips with you guys on how I styled this post and some of the settings I used on my camera..

I used PhotoScape to bulk edit the size of my photos once I uploaded them to my PC.
Then I used Canva to crop and add text tothem.
These photos were shot in natural light, right next to my window.
My ISO ranged between 200 – 400, which depended on my angle/position.
I used one of my topsas a prop because it has an African print on it *smile*.
The black dish is from anice cream hubbybought merecentlyfrom our local supermarket. I liked it, so I kept it. Thumbs up for frugal living *smile again*.

Until next time guys! I hope you´re all having a great week!

Johlene

xoxo

FAQs

Definition of 'koeksister'

Save room for a koeksister (a syrupy doughnut) and coffee.

A koeksister /ˈkʊksɪstər/ is a traditional Afrikaner confectionery made of fried dough infused in syrup or honey. There is also a Cape Malay version of the dish, which is a fried ball of dough that is rolled in desiccated coconut called a koesister.

Comfort food for a culture and a big part of the heritage of the Afrikaners. The origins for this culinary cultural icon are attributed to two recipes brought to South Africa by Dutch settlers in 1652. These two recipes were for doughnuts and a sweet bowtie-shaped thingee made from pasta dough.

Koesisters: Soft, slightly chewy doughnut-like texture. Koeksisters: Crispy and crunchy exterior with a syrup-soaked, tender interior.

Do you know the difference between a koeksister and a traditional Cape Malay koesister? While a koeksister is plaited and deep fried for a crispy outside, the koesister is softer and made with cinnamon, traditional mixed spices, and aniseed.

The name comes form the Dutch koek (cake) and sissen (sizzle) – presumable a reference to the sizzling sound they make when being deep fried. It is one of the few things which, despite the huge South African population in London, I have not seen in mainstream stores.

The word koeksister is of Dutch origin, from the word 'koek', which literally means a wheat flour confectionery and is also the origin of the American word cookie. The word 'sister' originates from the legend of two sisters working together and plaiting the doughnuts and then dunking them in syrup.

A sweet South African heritage delicacy - crisp pastry plaits are fried and dipped in an aromatic syrup! Pastries similar to these originated centuries ago in Batavia in the East and the recipe brought to South Africa by the Malayan settlers together with many other.

The koeksister's origins are not exactly clear, but it is generally believed to have originated from a recipe brought to the Cape by Dutch settlers in the 17^th century. Koeksisters are not to be confused with the closely named but distinctly different Cape Malay treat koesisters, of Malay/Indonesian origin.

Legend has it a pair of sisters decided to braid their doughnuts like they braid their hair and fry them until they're golden as the sun and sweet as their sisterly bond. The result is a little golden braid with a crisp outer shell and a sticky liquid center, scented traditionally only with lemon.

Koeksisters' roots can be traced back to Dutch settlers who arrived in South Africa in 1652, bringing with them recipes for doughnuts and a sweet bowtie-shaped pastry made from pasta dough.

The koeksister's journey starts where one might not think. Rumour has it that Dutch settlers brought two recipes to the Cape. One was for a sweet pasta dough shaped like a bowtie, and the other recipe was for a deep-fried treat that resembled a doughnut. Eventually, someone decided to combine both recipes.

Easy Koeksister Recipe a.k.a. Breadsisters (2024)