Sleeping in Delft during Pentecost
Early Saturday morning. A couple of students wake you up by loudly ringing their bicycle bells right in front of your door. This way sleeping in Delft during Pentecost is impossible! With the sanddust stil in your eyes, you look outside. The group carries big crates of Dutch doughnut look-a-likes. Your curiosity is sparked & you decide to follow them.
Whitsun sleepy head
In West Holland the Saturday before Whit Sunday is known as Luilak. It was an exciting day for young people. They rose early morning to make noise, shake up the city and wake up those who were sleeping long and being lazy – the so called ‘luilakken’. It was the time to say goodbye to winter, clean the house and welcome spring. There was no room for lazy people.
Sleeping in Delft for the holidays
In the 19th century this was still a decent festivity, if you came to work late, you had to buy your colleagues some drinks. That was it. Like any celebration, Luilak took on a different form as time went by. Just like New Year’s Day nowadays, the youngsters started disbehaving. Riots & vandalism became a common sight on the Saturday morning before Whit Sunday. There was no way to get any rest in any of the cities where the celebration. Government & municipalities looked for solutions, created their own parades and bonfires. Sleeping in Delft during Pentecost became a challenge and while a group of Delftians lay awake at night an idea emerged.
Food is the solution to sleeping well in Delft
For centuries bakeries made a special treat for Pentecost: de luilakkenbol, a sweet bun similar to a Dutch doughnut. This group of Delftians came up with the idea to create a parade for the youngsters. At the end a full load of luilakbollen would be thrown on top of them. It became a huge success and it was the start of an annual Delft festival called the Delft Bun Saturday or Delftse bollenzaterdag.
Nowadays Luilak is not celebrated any more. Its means sleeping in Delft during Pentecost is relaxed and quiet. The luilakbol is not sold by Delft bakers. But, you can make them yourself, they're similar to the English scone.
Recipe for Pentecost luilakbol
- 40 grams of yeast
- 500 grams of flour ( of which 2/3 wheat flour and 1/3 rye flour)
- 250 grams of milk
- 10 grams of salt
- 20 grams of brown sugar
- 50 grams of butter
- 300 grams of raisins
- 100 grams of currants
- tea spoon of cinnamon
Step by step making of Delft bun
Mix the yeast with 4 spoons of lukewarm milk. Take the flour and mix it with the salt and sugar. Then make a little whole in the middle of the flour. Pour the melted butter in the yeast mix and add this to the flour. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Cover with a clean cloth and leave it to rise for 30 minutes.
Wash the raisins and currants and make sure they're dry. Then add them to the risen dough with the cinnamon. Knead and leave to rise for 15 minutes. Set the oven on 240°C. Out of the dough, make buns of about 60 grams. Put them on a well-buttered baking tray, cut each bun on 4 sides. Leave to rise for another 15 minutes. Then brush them with egg and bake them for 15 minutes. Eat them with butter and syrup (or jam).
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Sources of inspiration:
https://www.bakkersinbedrijf.nl/recept_artikelen/recept-luilakbollen
https://www.maxvandaag.nl/sessies/themas/terug-naar-toen/luilak-het-uitstervende-kwajongensfeest/
https://www.beleven.org/feest/luilak
