Bollo Hornazo (Sweet Anise Bread)
Soft, lightly sweet buns scented with aniseed—made for sharing when it mattered most.
This is my Lely’s version of bollo hornazo, the traditional version just as I make it. I have another version which requires a post all of its own, my father in laws recipe.
Hornazo wasn’t something Lely made often. Our kitchen had its rhythms—jam tarts, Easter cookies, the things that appeared again and again without question. Hornazo sat outside of that, made now and then, usually when there were visitors from town and something a little more special was needed.
I remember those days differently. There was more movement in the kitchen, more attention. Ingredients weren’t just gathered—they were considered. The matalauva (Aniseed) would come out, the eggs cracked one after the other, and I knew this wasn’t an ordinary bake.
My part was brushing each with egg just before they went into the oven. That made them feel celebratory to me, even before they were baked.
When they came out, golden and split across the top, the smell filled the whole house. And because they weren’t something we had often, they never lasted long. One would always be broken open too soon, still warm, shared without plates—just hands, conversation, and that quiet feeling that something had been made for a reason.
Hornazo was never about perfection. The cracks across the top, the uneven shapes, those were part of it. It was something made now and again, for a reason. And that’s exactly how it should be kept.
Not everyday baking, but something brought out when it mattered.
Ingredients
340 g self-raising flour
140 g sugar
110 g unsalted butter or margarine, softened
2 tsp aniseed (matalauva)
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
25 ml dry anise
1 egg, beaten (for brushing)
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (170°C conventional) and line a baking tray.
2
In a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. This step is what gives the hornazo its soft, tender texture, so don’t rush it.
3
Stir in the sugar, aniseed, baking powder, and salt, ensuring everything is evenly distributed.
4
Add the eggs, egg yolk, and dry anise.
Bring the mixture together into a dough, then knead lightly just until smooth. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, but not sticky. If needed, add a light dusting of flour—no more than necessary.
5
Shaping.
Divide the dough, using half each for the large hornazos. Shape the larger portion into a round or oval loaf and place onto the prepared tray. Score the top with a sharp knife. Brush with beaten egg.
Divide the dough and weigh out balls of around 70–80 g each, shaping into small buns. Lightly score the tops. Brush all pieces with beaten egg.
6
Baking.
Bake the small buns at 160°C for 18–22 minutes, until golden.
Bake the large hornazo at 170°C for 30–35 minutes, until well risen, golden, and firm to the touch.
7
Allow to rest on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool entirely.
8
Lely Tip
“Déja que repose la masa.” Before you bake for 10 mins.
If you have it, don’t skip the dry Anise . It’s not essential, but it gives the hornazo its depth—the smell that fills the kitchen and lets everyone know something special is baking.
